Najib withdraws appeal against dismissal of witness list, statements in SRC case

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak withdrew his appeal against the High Court's dismissal of his bid to be supplied a list of witnesses interviewed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and witness statements during investigation in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

Court of Appeal three-man bench comprising Justices Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, P. Ravinthran and Datuk Nordin Hassan subsequently struck out the appeal.

Najib's lawyer Nur Syahirah Hanipah informed the court of the withdrawal of the appeal.

She, however, requested the court to record that the former prime minister reserved his right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal, adding that the matter was agreed by both parties.

Ad-hoc deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram said he did not have any objection to the withdrawal application as well as on Najib's right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal.

On Nov 15 last year, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed Najib's application to obtain a list of witnesses and witness statements to enable him to prepare his defence.

Najib, 67, had applied for the list and witness statements after he was ordered by the High Court on Nov 11 last year to enter his defence on seven charges relating to misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds.

On July 28 this year, the Pekan Member of Parliament was sentenced to 12 years jail and fined RM210 million in default five years jail after he was found guilty by the High Court on the seven charges.

He obtained a stay of execution of the sentence pending appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Najib was sentenced to 12 years jail for the offence related to abuse of power, 10 years jail each for three criminal breach of trust offences. He was also sentenced to 10 years’ jail for each of the three counts of money laundering.

The High Court, however, ordered that all sentences run concurrently.

After the court proceedings, Syahirah told the media that they obtained the court's permission to have Najib's attendance in the Court of Appeal be dispensed.

She said the proceedings today was only for withdrawal of appeal and Najib was required to attend the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption trial in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA