Deputy public prosecutor Iskandar Ahmad told the court today that the attorney-general had instructed his team to withdraw the motion for the case to be heard before High Court judge Nazlan Ghazali.

He added that he had received an objection to the transfer from Hasanah’s legal team yesterday evening.

“This is a big U-turn from the defence’s previous stand in which they said they had no issues with Hasanah’s case being heard at the High Court,” he said.

He added that it was Hasanah’s legal team, led by Shaharudin Ali, which had sought for the prosecution to move her case to the High Court.

Shaharudin admitted to making a U-turn on the matter but said there was nothing wrong with Hasanah changing her mind.

He added that the case was related to a white-collar crime and had nothing to do with espionage or sabotage.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, he said his team preferred that Hasanah’s case remain at the Sessions Court as it does not involve complex questions.

“We think that the Sessions Court judge has sufficient experience to hear her case,” he added.

Hasanah’s case will be mentioned again at the Sessions Court on Feb 21.

Hasanah claimed trial last October to misappropriating RM50 million in government funds.

She was accused of misappropriating the funds with which she was entrusted at the Prime Minister’s Department between April 30 and May 9.

If found guilty, she faces a fine and a jail sentence of between two and 20 years.

She entered the spotlight after the May 9 general election when a letter written to Central Intelligence Agency director Gina Haspel, asking for Washington’s support for Barisan Nasional, was leaked to the public.