THE Court of Appeal has today rejected Najib Razak’s last-minute application to adduce new evidence in his SRC International Sdn Bhd case and announced that the verdict on his appeal against his conviction will be delivered tomorrow morning.

Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who is leading a three-man panel alongside Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, said this is a unanimous decision.

Najib has been convicted of all seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in relation to RM42 million belonging to SRC International last year.

He has been fined RM210 million and sentenced to 12 years’ jail.

If his appeal fails tomorrow, the former prime minister can make another round of appeal at the Federal Court.

Karim said: “We found that the additional evidence is not necessary for the determination of the appeal… hence, the application is hereby dismissed.”

He added that the applicant has failed to cumulatively satisfy the requirements of the law and there is no exceptional circumstance that has been shown.

The court allowed Najib, who is on his first day of a 10-day quarantine, to appear tomorrow via Zoom.

On December 1, Najib had applied for the appellate court to allow and direct for viva voce evidence to be taken from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki and investigating officer Rosli Hussein, as well as the evidence from any other witnesses in relation to the case.

Najib said he made the application following the anti-graft body’s press release on the recovery of 1Malaysia Development Bhd assets from Singapore dated November 19, whereby the republic had repatriated US$15.4 million (RM65.1 million) to Malaysia linked to an account of Cutting-Edge Industries Ltd, owned by Tawfiq Ayman, who is the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Ad hoc prosecutor V. Sithambaram said the attempt to adduce “irrelevant” evidence and ask for a substantive rehearing or retrial even before the decision is put down is “ingenious”.

“It is in the interest of the society as a whole that there must be an end to the litigation.”

He added that the alleged bribe taken by Tawfiq should be a separate and independent offense. – December 7, 2021.