IPIC case: 'Anwar responsible if Najib's DNAA turns into full acquittal'

Summary

• Civil society groups want Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to ensure that Najib Abdul Razak is charged again for the IPIC criminal breach of trust case.

• Najib was granted a DNAA because the prosecution did not furnish classified documents the defence needed.

• The group warns that delays may lead to Najib filing for a full acquittal.

A group of NGOs is pressuring Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to lay out a timeline on when ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak will be recharged in a case involving the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

Projek Sama, Bersih, Ideas, Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia (Haram), and graphic artist Fahmi Reza also want Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to declassify secret documents that Najib's defence team is seeking.

They said Anwar would be held responsible if failure to do either resulted in Najib getting a discharge amounting to acquittal (DAA).

"If Najib eventually obtains a DAA in the IPIC case because the AGC failed to file in new charges in time or because the Finance Ministry refuses to declassify the documents, then Anwar as both prime minister who controls the tenure of AG and is the finance minister must bear the full political responsibility for Najib’s impunity," they said in a statement today.

RM6.6b CBT

Last November, Najib and former treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah were granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) over six criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges involving RM6.6 billion.

This was granted following the prosecution's failure to hand over several classified documents crucial to the two accused to prepare their defence.

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The group pointed out it has been three months since the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on Nov 27, 2024, to grant Najib a DNAA.

"If the prosecution fails to bring new charges after a long time, the defendants may apply for a DAA.

"Delays by the AGC in filing new charges after DNAA appear to be a modus operandi for VIP defendants to subsequently obtain DAA and get off the hook entirely," they added.

The message was released on behalf of 53 groups and over 1,000 individuals who previously endorsed a statement calling for no mercy to be shown to Najib.

The CBT criminal case against Najib and Irwan is linked to alleged payments of RM6,636,065,000 in government funds to IPIC.

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