KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): The Court of Appeal has allowed a bid by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to have a bench of five judges to hear his review application to restore his acquittal by the High Court of four of his abuse of power charges last year.

His lawyer Chetan Jethwani said that Court of Appeal deputy registrar Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli informed the parties of the matter on Thursday morning during case management.

Muhyiddin had requested a five-judge bench due to the serious nature of the matter.

Muhyiddin through his lawyers had filed an application to have five judges hear the review application to restore his discharge and acquittal (DAA) in an abuse of power case linked to the Jana Wibawa programme earlier this month.

The review application will commence on July 9.

This review is sought by Muhyiddin for the Court of Appeal to review its own decision to reinstate his charges which were struck out by the High Court.

On Feb 28, the court's three-member panel chaired by judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail reinstated the four charges previously struck out by the High Court on Aug 15.

On March 1, Muhyiddin filed an appeal in the Federal Court against the appellate court’s restoration of the four charges against him.

However, he has since withdrawn that appeal as he cannot appeal the COA’s decision in the Federal Court because his case originated in the Sessions Court.

The highest his appeal can go to is the COA. Thus the Pagoh Member of Parliament is seeking a review by the COA of its decision.

The Bersatu president said the decision of the COA was a nullity or illegality as it was made without jurisdiction, as required under Section 50(1) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964.

Muhyiddin, 76, who is also Perikatan Nasional’s chairman, was charged with using his position as then prime minister to obtain bribes amounting to RM232.5 million from three companies, namely Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and one Datuk Azman Yusoff for the party.

He is accused of committing the act at the Prime Minister's Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra in Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021.

He also faces two charges of receiving money from illegal activities amounting to RM195 million from Bukhary Equity which was deposited into Bersatu's CIMB Bank account.

He allegedly committed the offence at CIMB Bank Menara KL Branch, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021, and between Feb 8 and July 8, 2022.