THE Federal Court has fixed January 19 to hear jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s application for a review of his conviction and prison sentence for corruption.

Najib, 69, is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International funds. He was also fine RM210 million, which he has yet to pay.

He began his sentence on August 23 last year, after the Federal Court rejected his appeal, upholding the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal.

The court had previously set three days – January 19, 20 and 26 – for the hearing but deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said counsels had received an email from the Federal Court last Friday, which stated that the court no longer required two extra days.

Najib, through Messrs Shafee & Co, filed his application on September 6 last year, seeking to challenge the Federal Court verdict.

The former prime minister also wants the court to review the Federal Court’s decision on August 16, rejecting his attempt to introduce evidence about Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, the High Court trial judge who originally convicted him.

On July 28, 2020, Nazlan found him guilty of seven charges: three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering charges and one count of abuse of power.

Nazlan’s decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on December 8, 2021.

Najib wants his filing to be reheard by a fresh Federal Court panel consisting of at least seven judges and that he be given a stay of execution of his prison sentence pending the outcome.

The prosecution argues that the filing has no merit and is an abuse of the court process.

They also said that Najib was given a fair trial and there was no pre-judgment in his appeal at the Federal Court. – Bernama, January 10, 2023.