Najib's three-day SRC conviction review to start on Jan 19

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has set three days from Jan 19 to hear Datuk Seri Najib Razak's review application of his conviction and 12 years' jail sentence and fine for misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

Federal Court deputy registrars, Wan Fatimah Zahara Wan Yussoff and Siti Hajar Mustaffa, who heard the case management today fixed Jan 19, 20 and 26 for hearing of Najib's review application.

Najib's lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee and deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, when contacted, confirmed the hearing date.

Muhammad Farhan said the court also fixed Dec 2 for another case management for the review.

Meanwhile, Mohd Ashrof said both the prosecution and defence would have to file in their respective submissions by Jan 4.

The case management proceeding conducted online was attended by Najib's lawyers Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Muhammad Farhan, Syafiqah Sofian and Wan Arfan Wan Othman while deputy public prosecutors Datuk V.Sithambaram and Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul appeared for the prosecution.

The 69-year-old former prime minister (Najib) is currently serving a 12-year imprisonment term in Kajang Prison after he lost his final appeal in the Federal Court to set aside his conviction, sentence and a fine of RM210 million in the Federal Court on Aug 23, this year.

In his review application, Najib wants the court to review the Federal Court's decision made on Aug 16 in dismissing his bid to adduce further evidence relating to Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, the trial judge in his SRC International case.

On July 28, 2020, Justice Mohd Nazlan found him guilty on seven charges -- three criminal breach of trust charges, three money-laundering charges and one abuse of power charge.

The judge (Mohd Nazlan) who is now a Court of Appeal judge, had sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million in default five years' imprisonment and his decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, last year.

Najib wants his appeal to be reheard by a new Federal Court panel consisting of at least seven judges and that he be given a stay of execution of his jail sentence pending the hearing of his review application.

The prosecution, in responding to Najib's affidavt, filed an affidavit through Mohd Ashrof, stating that Najib's review application had no merit and was an abuse of the court process.

In the affidavit, Mohd Ashrof said Najib was given a fair trial and there was no pre-judgment on his appeal at the Federal Court.

-- BERNAMA