FORMER prime minister Najib Razak’s defence team has extended the number of days it requires to submit his appeal against his conviction and sentencing in his SRC International corruption case by taking up two of the days allocated to the prosecution.

The defence team was supposed to wrap up by last Thursday but was still making its case today and – at the end of the day – even requested more time to complete their submission.

“It looks like the defence team now have six days and the prosecution team only have four days,” deputy public prosecutor V. Sithambaram later told reporters outside the courtroom.

“When I make my submission, it may not be recognisable because it will show a different dimension… facts that were never advanced by the defence. So, I cannot cut it short, I also need time,” he said.

The appeal that started a week ago had previously been set for three weeks, with the prosecution and defence teams each allocated four days to make their case.

The prosecution should have started presenting today but out of courtesy allowed the defence team to continue.

The parties also agreed today that the defence team will finish its submission by tomorrow and the prosecution will start on Wednesday.

Court of Appeal judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil – chairing a three-man bench including Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera – had previously warned the defence team sternly not to keep repeating the same arguments for their case.

Karim today again reminded the defence team to “go direct with their points”.

On July 28, 2020, at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Najib was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined him RM210 million for seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money-laundering and abuse of power, involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.

Najib has submitted 307 grounds in his petition of appeal on why he should be cleared of the charges. The Pekan MP is currently on bail of RM2 million in two sureties pending appeal.

The case continues tomorrow at 9am. – April 12, 2021.