NAJIB Razak’s lawyers have filed for a new apex court bench to review its decision to reject his appeal in the RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.

The former prime minister’s lawyers from Shafee & Co filed the review application earlier today, according to reports. 

Najib is in Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld his 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for embezzlement, power abuse and money laundering.

On August 23, a five-man Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat upheld his conviction over seven criminal charges, as well as the 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine, in lieu of an additional five years in jail.

The other bench members were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and senior judges P. Nallini, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

Earlier today, Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi urged Najib’s lawyers to file for a judicial review of the Federal Court’s decision. 

Puad told Free Malaysia Today that former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ comments on the case are grounds for submission. 

Thomas, in an interview with Malaysiakini, said that the trial was the easiest-ever case to prove.

“Was it the easiest to prove or the easiest to manipulate?” Puad was quoted as saying in the report.

“I am confident that the interview will further raise doubt on the transparency of Najib’s prosecution by the Pakatan Harapan-led government.”

He said legal experts such as Zaid Ibrahim and the public could see that there were double standards in the prosecution of Najib.

Zaid, who acted briefly as Najib’s lawyer, thanked Thomas for exposing the double standards in the SRC case.

In a video on Facebook yesterday, Zaid said Thomas had contradicted himself by first saying that the case was “easiest to prove” but later in the same interview saying the case was “complicated” due to the voluminous documents and transactions that had to be reviewed. – September 6, 2022.