We'll file an appeal on Monday, Shafee says after 'losing all'

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s defence team will file an appeal on Monday against his conviction on 25 1MDB-linked charges.

Speaking to reporters, Najib’s lead defence counsel, Shafee Abdullah, said he looks forward to arguing the case at the Court of Appeal, citing multiple “blunders” in the verdict delivered by judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

“True enough, although we are extremely disappointed, but we are not surprised. We sort of anticipated it from the beginning.

“So, basically, we are appealing on Monday. We are looking forward to arguing this in the Court of Appeal, you know, for real,” he said.

“In fact, although I’m sad for my client. In many ways, I’m happy because the more blunders I think a judge makes, the better our chances,” he said.

Shafee noted that today’s verdict was the first time in his entire legal career spanning five decades in which his team lost on every single ground that they argued.

“And here, as I told you, I lost everything.

“Never in my life, never have I lost (on all grounds), not even one small bit of crumb. The judge gave us nothing. Everything, given to the prosecution, nothing to us,” he said.

“I’m not complaining because you gave nothing, but I’m just complaining on the probability, in terms of statistics, that we can’t be that ‘bodoh’ (dumb), that we lost everything,” he stressed.

‘Hearsay and double hearsay’

Shafee said among matters to be argued at the appeals stage include the admission of “hearsays” and “double hearsays” throughout the trial.

Sequerah found Najib guilty on all four counts of abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges, after the defence failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

The judge then sentenced the former prime minister to 15 years in jail and a RM11.38 billion fine. If Najib fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve another 10 years’ imprisonment in default.

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