High Court rejects lawyer’s bid to review Riza Aziz’s DNAA
The High Court has rejected a senior lawyer’s revision application against the Sessions Court’s decision to discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) movie producer Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz for money laundering involving US$248 million (RM1.08 billion) linked to 1MDB funds.
When contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon, lawyer Shaharudin Ali confirmed the rejection of his application by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which was contained in a letter from the court to him dated yesterday.
The High Court has rejected a senior lawyer’s revision application against the Sessions Court’s decision to discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) movie producer Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz for money laundering involving US$248 million (RM1.08 billion) linked to 1MDB funds.
When contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon, lawyer Shaharudin Ali confirmed the rejection of his application by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which was contained in a letter from the court to him dated yesterday.
“True,” the counsel confirmed when asked about it through text messages, adding that no reason was given at all.
“I think it is unfair for the judge to simply dismiss my letter without giving any reason for it.
“I think a decision to refuse a revision is a serious one and it will have an implication. Therefore, the judge should have given his reason. This is my view as a lawyer.
“I am considering my next option, there will be a reaction. I (will) look at it and I will pursue the matter further,” Shaharudin said.
According to a copy of the letter signed by High Court deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas, the lawyer’s revision application dated May 20 was brought to the attention of High Court (criminal) judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
“After the honourable judge (YA Hakim) referred to and perused the letter from your side, the honourable judge does not intend to conduct a revision regarding this matter.
“Therefore, the revision application is rejected,” stated the letter.
Malaysiakini reported that Shaharudin filed the revision application against the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court’s decision to grant the DNAA to Riza, a Hollywood movie producer involved in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and Dumb and Dumber To, among others.
On May 14, it was reported that the Sessions Court granted the DNAA to Riza in relation to the 1MDB-linked US$248 million money laundering case.
The DNAA has attracted mixed reactions from various quarters, with former attorney-general Tommy Thomas having issued several denials over greenlighting the DNAA deal between the prosecution and Riza.
However, current Attorney-General Idrus Harun said Thomas had agreed in principle to the DNAA deal and that he (Idrus) merely proceeded with the deal due to that.
It was reported that the MACC had issued a statement that the DNAA deal was secured during Thomas’ stint as AG.
The anti-graft watchdog’s chief commissioner Azam Baki was reported by online news portal Free Malaysia Today that it was standing by its statement.
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