Malaysian Federal Court Upholds Acquittal of Former Youth Minister in 2-1 Ruling

Malaysian lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman walked free on Monday after the Federal Court dismissed the prosecutors’ final appeal in his corruption case. The 2-1 decision upheld last year’s acquittal on four charges linked to funds belonging to Armada, the youth wing of Bersatu party. Federal Court judges Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Collin Lawrence Sequerah formed the majority.

They found the prosecution had failed to establish the principal offence of criminal breach of trust involving the withdrawal of 1 million ringgit from Armada’s account. Court of Appeal president Abu Bakar Jais dissented and would have convicted Syed Saddiq on three of the four charges.

Those charges involved the alleged misappropriation of 120,000 ringgit and two subsequent money laundering transactions.

The ruling ended a six-year legal battle that had centered on the former youth minister. The Palace of Justice in Putrajaya houses the Malaysian Court of Appeal and Federal Court.