In the wake of Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s recent discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in his Yayasan Akalbudi case, an Umno leader has voiced optimism that the ongoing legal battles against former Prime Minister Najib Razak may soon come to an end. Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi expressed gratitude for the High Court’s decision to grant Zahid a DNAA, asserting that the case was mired in “political and selective prosecution.”
Puad Zarkashi likened Zahid’s discharge to the High Court’s earlier decision to release Umno veteran Shahrir Samad from a RM1 million money laundering charge, as the prosecution opted not to proceed with the case. During Shahrir’s trial, a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer revealed that former Attorney-General Tommy Thomas had pressed for Shahrir’s prosecution despite incomplete investigation papers.
Puad Zarkashi expressed hope that the charges against Najib would be dropped, referencing a leaked 12-page memo pertaining to Najib’s 1MDB-International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) case. The memo indicated that the available evidence was insufficient to prove the charges. While the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) confirmed an investigation into the memo’s leak, its authenticity remains unverified.
Highlighting the time and financial resources spent on these trials, Puad Zarkashi called for a police inquiry into the leaked memo concerning Najib’s case. Another Umno Supreme Council member, Razlan Rafii, expressed confidence in Zahid’s eventual full acquittal from the 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering, attributing the case to character assassination.
Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad saw Zahid’s DNAA as a boost to Umno’s election machinery, currently campaigning for the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections, scheduled for Saturday.