The High Court will deliver its decision on May 14 regarding Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s application to be acquitted and discharged of 47 charges involving criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering linked to Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
High Court Judge Nurulhuda Nur’aini Mohamad Nor fixed the date after defence lawyer Datuk Hamidi Mohd Noh informed the court that they had requested a postponement pending the outcome of an appeal at the Court of Appeal on May 7.
“The court has fixed May 14 for the decision, subject to the Court of Appeal’s ruling on May 7,” the judge said.
Earlier proceedings saw the defence informing the court that a letter had been submitted on April 20 requesting that today’s decision date be vacated in light of the pending appellate ruling.
The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat Armadan, and a watching brief from the Malaysian Bar Council were also present during proceedings.
The Bar Council had previously filed an objection regarding Ahmad Zahid’s application for full discharge, following the High Court’s earlier decision to reject its bid for leave to initiate judicial review proceedings.
On February 24, the prosecution did not object to Ahmad Zahid’s application to be discharged and acquitted. However, the court ruled that it would await the Court of Appeal’s decision before making any determination.
Ahmad Zahid’s legal team argued that the application was based on a decision by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), which had issued a “No Further Action” (NFA) classification for all 47 charges after reviewing new representations and evidence.
The AGC had previously confirmed in January that the decision followed a detailed assessment of six representations submitted by Ahmad Zahid.
The case stems from charges filed in relation to allegations involving Yayasan Akalbudi, with proceedings dating back several years and undergoing multiple legal developments, including a previous discharge not amounting to acquittal granted in September 2023.
