WITH OR WITHOUT ANWAR'S INTERFERENCE - ZAHID'S CORRUPTION CHARGES ARE FAR FROM OVER - A PRIMA FACIE CASE IS ALREADY A "VERY HIGH STANDARD OF PROOF" - "MIND-BOGGLING" FOR AG TO OVERTURN ITS OWN CASE

Written by Mohamed Hanipa Maidin

The Malaysian Bar has filed a judicial review application against the attorney-general and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

It seeks, inter alia, a prerogative order of mandamus instructing the AG to act per the law, including prosecuting Zahid again if deemed appropriate, as per Section 254A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Section 254A, which is a new section, inter alia, provides “Subject to subsection (2), where an accused has been given a discharge by the court and he is recharged for the same offence, his trial shall be reinstated and be continued as if there had been no such order given”.

By virtue of this new section, the court does not have to try the case de novo (to start it all over again from the beginning).

As we know on Sept 4, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for all 47 charges related to criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering involving Yayasan Akal Budi funds.

Such a mind-boggling decision was made after the prosecution informed the court that the Attorney-General's Chambers wanted to halt the proceedings against Zahid to scrutinise new evidence. Hitherto, the AG has not made any statement on the legal status of such new evidence.

The media reported that Zahid is set to oppose the Malaysian Bar's application. The hearing for the Malaysian Bar's application to obtain permission from the court to initiate the judicial review is set for Jan 11, 2024, before judge Amarjeet Singh.

Order of mandamus

As of today, it is not clear whether the AG would oppose the same or not. Based on my experience, the AG would invariably oppose such an application, though the threshold for an application for leave is relatively low.

Apart from asking for an order of mandamus, the Malaysian Bar is equally seeking an order annulling the AG’s decision (an order of certiorari) and a declaratory order declaring the DNAA granted to Zahid to be null and void, asserting that it exceeded the jurisdiction and authority granted to the attorney-general.

The mandamus relief sought by the Malaysian Bar includes compelling the AG to provide information and documentation justifying the decision to apply for a DNAA against Zahid.

The Malaysian Bar asserts that the AG acted beyond his jurisdiction and that the decision was unreasonable and irrational.

Legally speaking, the DNAA is not a final verdict in the sense that one who is armed with such a verdict may not earn the status of a completely free man. In the case of Zahid, he may be possibly re-indicted by the AG though many feel that such a possibility seems to be next to impossible given his high status as the deputy prime minister.

Though the verdict of DNAA was officially pronounced by a judge it was essentially a decision by the AG when he decided to enter nolle prosequi under Section 254 of the CPC.

Zahid's DNAA has been subject to critical opprobrium as such a verdict was only made after he was called for his defence for all 47 charges in January 2022. An accused person is only called for defence if a judge has duly satisfied himself or herself that the prosecution managed to establish a prima facie case against such a person.

A prima facie case may be possibly construed as a strong case in that to establish a prima facie case the prosecution needs to establish all the ingredients of the charge beyond reasonable doubt. It is a very high standard of proof.

Perhaps, the Malaysian Bar may face an uphill task in its attempt to annul the decision made by the AG but in some jurisdictions the courts there were ready and willing to review the decision of the AG.

Written by Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, the former MP for Sepang

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