Court upholds sabotage charge against Khairuddin Abu Hassan

(MMO) – A High Court today rejected an application by Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan to set aside the criminal charges against him for lodging reports abroad against 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

High Court judge Datuk Nordin Hassan in his ruling said the court had no jurisdiction to decide on matters pertaining to the appointment of Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, which Khairuddin had raised in his application.

The judge pointed out to the court that the AG’s appointment is the decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“In line with that, seeing as the application was about the appointment (of the AG), the preliminary objection is allowed,” Nordin said, referring to objections raised by the public prosecutor against Khairuddin’s application.

“The application is rejected,” the judge added.

The public prosecutor had on February 16 raised a preliminary objection to Khairuddin’s request to have the charges against him dropped as, according to news portal the Star Online, questions about the validity of an AG’s appointment ought to be made in the form of a judicial review.

A judicial review is a procedure which allows a court to review an administrative action by a public body.

Khairuddin, formerly from Umno, and his lawyer Matthias Chang were charged on October 12 with attempting to sabotage the country’s economy, financial and banking system after lodging reports against 1MDB with foreign authorities.

Khairuddin was arrested on September 8 while Chang, a former political aide to ex-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was detained on October 8.

The two face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.