KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is still considered a flight risk as he is still facing three money laundering charges amounting to RM200 million linked to the Jana Wibawa programme, said the prosecution.
Deputy public prosecutor Lim Wai Keong said Muhyiddin’s reasons in his application to temporarily retrieve his international passport from the court are unreasonable and baseless.
“Even though Muhyiddin’s predicate charges (four abuse of power charges) have been dropped, the money laundering charges can still stand on their own.
“I must emphasise that Muhyiddin’s statement regarding his remaining charges is irresponsible and premature, seeing that the case on his remaining charges has not been heard.
“(Even) his application to quash the money laundering charges has yet to be heard and decided upon.
“(Therefore), his statement seems to have gone beyond the court’s authority, and challenged the public prosecutor’s authority, as accorded under the Federal Constitution,” he said in his affidavit.
Muhyiddin, on October 25 applied to retrieve his passport for a family trip to the United Kingdom, as well as for a medical checkup in Singapore.
Lim also denied any existence of material change of circumstances nor an injustice to Muhyiddin, if the bail additional condition is maintained.
He also emphasised, in his written reply, that previously Muhyiddin had agreed to the additional conditions set for bail, and that he could have applied to retrieve his passport temporarily, instead of permanently.
“Despite the existence of the additional bail, he (Muhyiddin) is still able to carry out his life as per usual, and his rights are still protected under the Federal Constitution.
“However, he is still tied to the money laundering charges and the risk of absconding still exists. Therefore, it is unreasonable to vary the additional condition, and it should be maintained to ensure his attendance in court.
“I do not deny that Muhyiddin had never missed any court dates. But he had always applied to be exempted from attending the proceedings on said dates, and the prosecution had never objected to this.”
Lim deemed Muhyiddin’s application to retrieve his passport as unreasonable, and it complicates the court process, and added that Muhyiddin is a flight risk.
Muhyiddin was charged with three counts of money laundering amounting to RM200 million and four counts of power abuse involving RM232.5 million bribe in March this year.
However, four of his abuse of power charges were acquitted and discharged by High Court Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin on August 15.
Muhyiddin had then applied to strike out his remaining money laundering charges, on October 4.
Sources confirmed that the court has fixed November 29 for a case mention, to fix a date to hear the application. – November 17, 2023