KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah infrastructure development minister Datuk Peter Anthony has been freed of five counts of money-laundering charges at a Special Corruption Court here on Tuesday (Aug 9).
The former Parti Warisan vice president, who now heads Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), was also discharged with abetting a lawyer in committing criminal breach of trust (CBT).
Judge Abu Bakar Manat discharged and acquitted Anthony after the prosecution from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) informed the court that there were new developments in the case.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Haresh Prakash Somiah informed that the representation letter forwarded earlier by Anthony had been accepted by the Chief Federal Counsel and asked for the latter to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on all his six charges.
However, counsel Martin Tommy asked for a discharge and acquittal, which the court agreed upon.
Anthony was charged with the offences on June 11, 2020, and he had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In the first and second charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, Anthony was accused of being indirectly involved in money laundering funds amounting to RM1.75mil on July 25 and receiving RM2mil on Aug 4 in 2014.
His third, fourth and fifth charges are under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
For these, he was accused of receiving RM500,000 on Sept 5, 2014, RM400,000 on Dec 7, 2015, and RM4.1mil between Nov 20, 2015, and Jan 18, 2016.