THE application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption case was based on cogent reasons, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said.

“Based on media reports that the AGC’s act to withdraw the charges against Zahid is immoral, the department would like to stress that the decision was made based on reasons given, and accepted by the court,” the AGC said in a brief statement this evening.

“When making the decision, the honourable judge stated that the reasons given by the prosecution were cogent.”

The statement comes after former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin today questioned if the prosecution had received orders from its “superiors” to discharge Zahid from his corruption case.

Muhyiddin said if it was true that there was such an order, then dropping the charges against Zahid, after he was ordered to enter his defence, was a black spot in the country’s justice system.

“What is strange is that the prosecution, having succeeded in proving a prima facie case, had asked the court to drop the charges. This is very unreasonable,” he said on Facebook.

“Does this mean that the prosecution admits the evidence presented in court cannot be used?

“This has never happened before in the history of Malaysia.”

Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in his corruption trial.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah made the ruling after listening to the prosecution’s submission.

He said the decision was made to allow further investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, but added the case was still open. – September 5, 2023.