SRC trial judge appeared ‘motivated’ to hold Najib to account, appeals court told

The Court of Appeal was told today that the trial judge in Najib Razak’s SRC International case appeared “motivated” to hold the former prime minister to account.

Najib’s counsel Farhan Read said this before a three-member bench led by judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, in the hearing of Najib’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.

The other two judges on the bench were Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.

“There appears to be a desire to hold the accused to account. The judge (Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali) was motivated to hold the accused to account,” Farhan said.

He also said that criminal law was not the proper avenue for the accused to be held to account as he had already been held to account during the last general election.

He added that the trial judge’s finding ordering the Pekan MP to enter his defence had been highly prejudiced.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28 last year sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.

The hearing of the appeal continues.