Lead counsel for Musa, Tengku Fuad Tengku Ahmad, said Zulkifli filed a “notice of discontinuance” in respect of his claim against Musa.
“We will be pursuing an order for costs against the plaintiff,” he said in a statement issued today.
“This suit was filed to embarrass my client.
“It represents a flagrant abuse of the court’s process. For that, we will be seeking an appropriate order for costs against Zulkifli.
“Further, it is clear that this plaintiff was advised or was being used by certain parties or ‘hidden hands’, some of whom may be lawyers.
“We will of course continue to make the appropriate enquiries since, if discovered, such conduct is a clear breach of the Advocate’s Etiquette and Practice Rules,” he said.
Zulkifli, who filed the suit as a citizen of the state, had sought from Musa the return of some US$101 million (RM407 million) from the issuance of timber concessions and an additional 8% annual interest for Yayasan Sabah.
He claimed Musa had committed criminal breach of trust by pocketing the money.
The legal notice, which was published in a local newspaper on July 6, also demanded that Musa be present at the court to answer the allegations.