Federal Court rejects bid to postpone Najib's SRC appeal
Najib Abdul Razak’s final appeal to quash his conviction and sentencing in the RM42 million SRC International corruption case will proceed next month.
The Federal Court this afternoon denied an application by the former prime minister’s new legal team to adjourn the hearing scheduled for 10 days from Aug 15...
Najib Abdul Razak’s final appeal to quash his conviction and sentencing in the RM42 million SRC International corruption case will proceed next month.
The Federal Court this afternoon denied an application by the former prime minister’s new legal team to adjourn the hearing scheduled for 10 days from Aug 15.
On Tuesday, Najib’s new batch of lawyers headed by Hisyam Teh Poh Teik sought the postponement as the legal team had just been appointed.
The team replaced the previous lawyers headed by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for the SRC appeal before the apex court.
Former finance minister Najib is seeking to quash his guilty verdict over seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC funds, as well as a 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine.
When contacted by the media, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul confirmed that the apex court did not allow the postponement bid during case management of the matter before Federal Court registrars Wan Fatimah and Siti Hajar Mustaffa.
“Today is the case management for the application for fresh evidence filed by the previous counsel (for Najib, namely lawyers from Shafee & Co). Then the amendment to the said motion for fresh evidence.
“Then the issue for change of solicitors (involving the Hisyam-led legal team) for the main appeal.
“The (apex) court has informed that the hearing date fixed from Aug 15 to 26 is maintained and instructions to comply are to be followed,” the DPP said, adding that the hearing would be conducted physically in open court.
The motion for fresh evidence here refers to Najib’s application to adduce additional evidence to nullify his conviction in the SRC case, over a claim that the trial judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali was affected by conflict of interest.
Ashrof added that the apex court had set Aug 15 to also hear Najib’s fresh evidence application.
Case management via Zoom
During the case management carried out via Zoom, the prosecution was also represented by DPP V Sithambaram.
Najib was represented by Hisyam and lawyers Liew Teck Huat and Rueben Mathiavaranam.
Also in attendance was Shafee, who was previously the counsel on record for Najib in the appeal.
Shafee’s attendance was in the capacity of the outgoing solicitor for the purpose of housekeeping and handover of the case to Najib’s new legal team.
Malaysiakini has reached out to Hisyam for comment on the matter.
On Dec 8 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s appeal to overturn the 2020 ruling by Nazlan, who was then a judge of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, who found Najib guilty and imposed the sentences. Nazlan has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal.
The conviction and fine are for one count of abuse of power, three counts of CBT, and three counts of money laundering related to RM42 million of SRC’s funds.
Previously a subsidiary of 1MDB, SRC later became fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc). 1MDB is also fully owned by MOF Inc.
Najib also used to be SRC’s adviser emeritus and chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.