The Malaysian Insight

NAJIB Razak’s lawyers are planning to seek a postponement of the SRC International Sdn Bhd appeal, which is slated to begin on August 15. 

In a letter to the deputy registrar of the Federal Court, Messrs Zaid Ibrahim Suffian TH Liew & Partners said the firm is seeking urgent case management to allow the court to hear the application.

In the same letter, the firm also informed the court that senior lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik has been appointed as the lead counsel for the former prime minister’s SRC International appeal, replacing Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. 

“At the mention or case management conference, we are instructed to:

“A. Withdraw the pending appeal against the decision of the High Court dismissing the Appellant’s application for ad-hoc admission of Jonathan Laidlaw QC (Queen’s Counsel).

“B. Address the honourable court with regard to the adjournment of the notice of motion filed on 07.06.2022 and the main appeal fixed for hearing on 15.08.2022 to 26.08.2022, on the basis that a wholly new team has taken over conduct of the above matter,” the firm said.

“We sincerely apologise to the honourable court for all the inconvenience caused by this request.” 

Last week, the court had dismissed Najib’s application to appoint a QC to represent him at the final appeal.

In his June 7 application, Najib had applied to add alleged new evidence and call new witnesses for his SRC International case to support his claim of conflict of interest by trial judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

He is also asking the Federal Court to declare the entire SRC International trial void and to consider ordering a retrial.

This application was scheduled for case management at the Federal Court on July 29. 

In 2020, Nazlan found Najib guilty of seven criminal charges for appropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.

The judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison and a RM210 million fine. The decision was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Besides Teh, Lim Teck Huat and Reuben Mathiaravanam will also be representing Najib, along with lawyers Sidharth Luthra and Kavin Gulati from India who will be assisting the team.

It was reported today that Najib had discharged his lead counsel Shafee and appointed former law minister Zaid Ibrahim’s firm to represent him at his Federal Court appeal.

https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/393084 

Shafee and his firm had represented Najib in the SRC International trial at the High Court and the Court of Appeal. 

The firm is still representing Najib in the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial at the High Court. – July 26, 2022.