RAFIZI Ramli is a free man, with prosecutors today withdrawing an appeal against his acquittal on a Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) charge.

The Court of Appeal retained the decision to free the PKR vice-president after deputy public prosecutor Jasmee Hameeza Jaafar informed a three-judge bench about the withdrawal.

Also freed is former bank clerk Johari Mohamad, 48, who was charged under Bafia with conspiring with Rafizi.

The Edge Markets reported that Attorney-General Tommy Thomas signed the withdrawal of the appeal on Monday.

Thomas had expressed shock at his office’s decision to file the challenge, and said he would personally ensure it was dropped.

On November 15, the high court acquitted and discharged Rafizi after overturning his conviction for revealing details of bank accounts related to the National Feedlot Corporation and its chairman, Salleh Ismail.

The 43-year-old former Pandan MP has announced that he is stepping away from active politics to focus on a tech start-up. – December 13, 2019.