PUTRAJAYA, Aug 23 – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today lost his final appeal at the Federal Court against his conviction of money laundering and power abuse by the High Court on July 28, 2020 in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat today rejected an application by Najib’s lawyer to recuse the chief justice from the proceedings and another to adjourn the hearing to Wednesday for the recusal submission. She heard the submission from lead defence lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik on why she should be recused from the proceedings before dismissing it.
According to the Malaysian National News Agency, BERNAMA, prior to the court’s decision today, Najib read a 20-page statement in which he said that he had been treated unfairly.
Judge Tengku Maimun in her 15-page ruling said that Najib did not dispute that RM42 million had entered into his personal bank accounts throughout the SRC case. His conviction at the High Court and 12-year jail sentence and a fine of RM210 million was upheld by the Federal Court.
The then High Court judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali had found Najib guilty of seven charges, comprising one count of abuse of power with regard to the Retirement Fund Inc’s (KWAP) RM4 billion loan to SRC and three counts each of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power with regard to RM42 million of SRC’s funds.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction on Dec 8 last year.
Others on the five-judge panel for the final appeal were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd.
Prosecution was led by Datuk V Sithambaram.
–WE