PUTRAJAYA:Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s appeal against his conviction and sentence of 12 years' jail and RM210 million fine for misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, will be heard starting Feb 15 next year.

Court of Appeal deputy registrar Darmafikri Abu Adam fixed 12 days from Feb 15 until Feb 18, Feb 22 until Feb 25 and March 1 to March 4, 2021 for the hearing of the appeal during case management today.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Ashraf Adrin Kamaril and lawyers Harvinderjit Singh and Nur Syahirah Hanapiah, representing Najib, were present during case management.

Najib had on July 30, filed the notice of appeal against the conviction and sentence meted out by High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million of SRC funds.

On July 28, the Pekan MP was sentenced to 10 years’ jail on each of the three cases of CBT and each of the three cases of money laundering and 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million, in default five years’ jail, in the case of abuse of position.

However, Najib will only serve 12 years in jail as the judge ordered all the jail sentences to run concurrently. He is currently out on RM2 million bail in two sureties pending appeal.

On Aug 7, the prosecution had filed a cross-appeal to increase the sentence.

On Sept 25, Najib had obtained a 30-day extension to file his petition of appeal after the Court of Appeal allowed his application for extension of time.

For the prosecution’s cross-appeal, it is understood  that because the prosecution  did not file the petition of appeal within the time period or apply for an extension of time, the appeal has therefore lapsed.

-- BERNAMA