AD hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram today told Najib Razak’s lawyers to try his 1MDB case in court instead of the media.

Sri Ram  told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that lead defence lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah had misled the media by claiming that the prosecution had failed to disclose evidence. 

Sri Ram said the letters which the defence claimed was not produced was already submitted to the defence during Najib’s SRC International trial. 

“How can he call the media like this and have a press conference? If he (Shafee) wants to fight, let us fight it out in court. 

“The accused (Najib) lawyers must conduct the trial in court and not in public,” he said.

Yesterday, at a press conference, Shafee said the prosecution had failed to disclose to the defence the particulars of five subsequent transactions which the defence had obtained through their own investigations.

Shafee said the transactions were funds that Najib had received into his Ambank account from the Saudi Finance Ministry and Prince Faisal Turkey Bandar Al Saud. 

The five transactions amounted to about US$180 (RM837) million. 

Sri Ram said it is not proper for him to respond to Shafee’s public accusations.

“All these letters were produced during Najib’s trial and appeal, and they were rejected by the courts,” he said. 

He said Shafee’s statement was a direct attack on the prosecution.

Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed interjected, saying the media statement didn’t touch on Judge Nazlan’s findings in the SRC International trial. 

“The SRC International case is a different charge and not directly related to the letters and how these letters are being utilised are subject to your findings and facts of law. 

“It is the purview of the court to accept or not (the evidence).”

Wan Aizuddin said Shafee will address the issue tomorrow morning as the latter couldn’t make it to court today because he was sick.

Sri Ram reiterated that the prosecution was not suppressing evidence.

“That is not true. We need to be vindicated. I am not willing to tolerate this. Our case is being undermined in public.”

Najib is on trial for graft involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds. He faces 25 charges of power abuse and money-laundering for offences committed between 2011 and 2013.

He is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Kajang Prison after being found guilty in the SRC International trial. – October 4, 2022.