KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The trial of former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on charges of abuse of position involving bribes totalling RM232.5 million and receiving RM200 million in proceeds from illegal activities will begin tomorrow at the High Court, here.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said the proceedings will commence at 9am before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin. 

“The trial will begin with the prosecution presenting an opening statement outlining the charges and evidence against the accused, and two witnesses are expected to testify tomorrow,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

On November 10 last year, Judge Noor Ruwena set 29 days to hear the case. They are March 9 to 11; April 13, 16, 28 and 29; May 25 and 26; July 6 to 10, 13 to 17 and 27 to 29 July, and continuing on August 17 to 21,  26 and 27, 2026.

The prosecution is expected to call 30 witnesses to testify.

On October 7 last year, the Attorney General’s Chambers dismissed Muhyiddin’s representation to drop seven charges against him.

Muhyiddin, 78, who was then prime minister and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president, was charged with four counts of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM232.5 million in relation to the Jana Wibawa Project from three companies, namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, as well as Datuk Azman Yusoff for the party.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020 and August 20, 2021.

The Pagoh MP was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law.

The section provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

He also faces three counts of receiving proceeds from illegal activities totalling RM200 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which were deposited into Bersatu’s Ambank and CIMB Bank accounts at the bank’s branches in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.

The charge was made under Section 4(1)(b) read with Section 87(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same act and carries imprisonment for up to 15 years and is also liable to a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds from illegal activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction. — Bernama