KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has objected to the prosecution's application for a joint trial application on his seven corruption charges recently.

The former prime minister's defence team in a statement today said the prosecution's contention that four power abuse and three money laundering charges were closely connected was completely misconceived and premature.

"Without touching on the merits or the lack thereof on the application for a joint trial, we hereby state it is a cardinal principle of criminal justice that there can be no joint trial when the four predicate offences do not disclose an offence known to law.

"We had filed an application to have these defective charges struck off and the case management for this application is fixed on May 31," the statement said.

Yesterday, the prosecution had filed for a joint trial application for Muhyiddin's power abuse and money laundering charges by stating that the cases involved the same documents and witnesses.

Muhyiddin, whose actual registered name is Mahiaddin Md Yasin, is the second former prime minister to be charged in court with corruption in the country's history.

He was released on RM2 million bail.

Muhyiddin was elected as the prime minister after the collapse of Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2020.

As the country faced the Covid-19 pandemic, the government announced several initiatives to assist the people, including the Jana Wibawa programme for Bumiputera contractors.

Others who have previously been charged with corruption related to the Jana Wibawa programme were former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and businessman cum Bersatu Segambut division deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/05/914643/muhyiddin-objects-joint-trial-seven-corruption-charges