DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today hailed the High Court’s decision to discharge him from his corruption trial as an end to his political persecution.

Speaking to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, Zahid said he was grateful the court had seen fit to grant him a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA).

Earlier justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the prosecution to offer Zahid a discharge to make way for a more thorough investigation into the case involving the funds of Yayasan Akalbudi.

Zahid had faced 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering.

“My family and I are grateful to God that the court has decided to drop the 47 charges against me,” said the Umno president.

Zahid also thanked his lawyers, led by Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, as well as Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) members for their support.

“Our job in Umno and BN is to continue fighting politically motivated charges,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hisyam said he would be filing an appeal for his client to be fully acquitted.

Today’s decision means that Zahid can still be brought to face charges at the end of the fresh investigation.

Another defence lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, warned that the court ruling should not be “manipulated”.

“We would like to emphasise that the attorney-general exercised his discretion in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Constitution,” said Zaidi.

“This is not the first time that the AG had used his discretion provided to withdraw charges in court.”

Earlier, head of the prosecution team, Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar had listed 11 reasons for offering the accused a DNAA.

Dusuki said a discharge would make way for the authorities to launch a comprehensive investigation. He also said there had been no miscarriage of justice in the case.

Zahid was accused of embezzling millions of ringgit from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister in 2013 to 2018. – September 4, 2023.