Zahid’s lawyer said an application would be filed to convert the DNAA into a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar has defended the decision to take no further action (NFA) on 47 corruption charges involving Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, stressing that the decision was not made lightly.
Speaking to reporters after the Opening of the Legal Year 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Dusuki said the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ decision was comparable to cases where convictions at the lower court level were later reviewed on appeal.
“This happens often, even after a conviction. So, when people say there was already a prima facie case (and so it should not be reviewed)…that is an inaccurate view, with due respect.
“The case (against Zahid) had been diluted. That is why we made the decision for NFA. I did not make this decision lightly,” he said.
Dusuki reiterated that although the High Court had ordered Zahid to enter his defence, further investigations arising from six additional representations showed that the case linked to Yayasan Akalbudi had been “diluted”.
“We used our powers under the law; that was the prima facie basis.
“But when we looked again through further investigations, we found many flows of money. That is the main issue.
“That (further investigations) caused the earlier case called for defence to be ‘diluted’. So, we exercised our powers. There is no need for us to continue because circumstances have changed,” he said.
Zahid was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Sept 4, 2023. At the time, Dusuki had taken over as lead prosecutor from Raja Rozela Raja Toran.
On Jan 8, the AGC announced that it would not pursue the charges, citing detailed investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission into the source, acquisition and use of the funds concerned.
Dusuki acknowledged public criticism of the decision, despite a prima facie case having previously been established.
“When he (Zahid) was charged, there were many shortcomings at the time. Some people questioned why there was a prima facie case then, and why we are reviewing it again now.
“We reviewed it again because of the representations made earlier. There were six representations. We re-examined the facts that we needed to look at, legal issues and so on,” he said.
Following the NFA decision, Zahid’s lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said an application would be filed to convert the DNAA into a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
Asked about the matter, Dusuki said no decision had been made and that it would only be considered after the application is filed.