The Malaysian Insight

NAJIB Razak’s team of legal advisers has decided to not to represent him, dealing a major blow to the former prime minister facing a battery of charges related to money laundering.

The Malaysian Insight understands former top prosecutor Yusof Zainal Abideen, senior criminal lawyer M. Puravalen and other members of the legal team failed to reach common ground with the client on several issues.

Given the disagreements, the lawyers felt it was pointless to continue acting for Najib. Their departure will come as a major loss to the embattled former PM as Yusof and Puravalen are lawyers of repute, each with more than 35 years of experience in the courtroom.

Yusof made his name as a prosecutor and rose up to the position of solicitor-general II before joining the private sector. He was on the prosecution team in Anwar Ibrahim’s first sodomy trial in 1998. 

Puravalen, meanwhile, has more than 30 years’ experience in criminal law. 

Najib is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probing how RM42 million from SRC International had allegedly ended up in his private bank account.

The money from SRC International went through several intermediaries before it was allegedly credited into Najib‎‘s account. 

Yusof and Puravalen had accompanied Najib when he was summoned to the MACC office for questioning on May 24.

The MACC has summoned Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, for questioning later today. She will also be questioned on the SRC International case. – June 5, 2018.