NAJIB Razak is shocked and bitterly disappointed with the Federal Court’s decision not to allow him to adduce fresh evidence in his RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.

The former prime minister believed that trial judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali was heavily conflicted in the SRC International case.

“I believe that the additional evidence will clearly indicate that Nazlan was heavily conflicted and he was very much aware of the 1MDB and SRC transactions.

“Therefore, he (Nazlan) had deep personal knowledge of these two entities,” he said in Putrajaya at the end of court proceedings today.

Najib personally believed that the investigation by MACC would bear this fact.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to do so. But I hope in the final appeal, we will be able to show the truth of the matter.”

Earlier today Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the defence had failed to show the relevance of the new evidence against the former prime minister’s charges.

“It is not as if Justice Nazlan’s (Mohd Nazlan Ghazali) previous role was a secret so that his subsequent involvement came as a surprise.

“We also find no nexus of Justice Nazlan’s previous employment with the bank and charges against the applicant as to suggest a conflict of interest.”

“All motions have been dismissed,” she said when delivering the judgment of the five-member bench this morning.

This afternoon the Federal Court also rejected Najib Razak’s bid to extend his SRC International appeal to allow his lawyers more time to prepare for the case.

Tengku Maimun said that the appeal would begin on Thursday.

“The court unanimously refused the defence’s request for a delay of two to three months.

“The counsels should be prepared for trial as their dates were decided at case management.

“So, the lawyers cannot say they are not ready. We found the grounds of adjournment were not reasonable.”

Najib’s lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik was equally disappointed with the court’s decision.

“I’m lost for words because I’m also shocked. Even the request for adjournment was not considered.

“We put up strong grounds (argument). I thought the court would be sympathetic and exercise its discretion. We felt there was basis for them to exercise discretion in our favour. 

“But unfortunately, it was not so. So, we will go back and relook at the course of action we will take and come back on Thursday morning.”

On July 28, 2020, then High Court judge Nazlan sentenced Najib to 10 years’ jail on each of his three counts of criminal breach of trust and on each of his three counts of money laundering, and 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine, in default of five years’ jail, in the case of abuse of position.

However, Najib would have to serve only 12 years in jail as the judge ordered all the jail sentences to run concurrently.

Najib, 69, is represented by Hisyam, Zaid Ibrahim, Liew Teck Huat and M. Rueben, while the prosecution is led by ad hoc prosecutor V. Sithambaram, who is assisted by deputy public prosecutors Donald Joseph Franklin, Sulaiman Kho Kheng Fuei, Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul and Manjira Vasudevan. - August 16, 2022.