Dec 7 hearing for Najib’s bid to cite new evidence in SRC appeal

Najib Razak’s application to allow new evidence to be adduced in his appeal against his 12-year jail sentence and fine of RM210 million for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds, will be heard on Dec 7, a day before the Court of Appeal deliver its verdict.

The matter was confirmed by Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaran when contacted by Bernama today.

Najib, in his application filed on Dec 1, is applying for the appeals court to allow and direct for viva voce evidence to be taken from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki, MACC investigating officer Rosli Hussein, who was the 57th prosecution witness in the SRC case, as well as the evidence of any other witness in relation to the case.

In an affidavit filed in support of his application, Najib, 68, said the application was made as soon as he was made aware of and was able to accumulate all the necessary information and documents.

Najib claimed that such information was not available or could not be obtained during his SRC trial at the High Court and when the Court of Appeal previously heard the appeal.

He said he made the application following MACC’s press release dated Nov 19 this year, on the recovery of 1MDB fund assets inter alia from Singapore, where the Singapore government had repatriated a sum of US$15.4 million to Malaysia relating to an account of Cutting-Edge Industries Ltd (CEIL) owned by Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

He added that in October and December 2020, articles were published by an online news portal reporting that Zeti and her family had received millions of dollars from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, including funds linked to 1MDB.

Najib claimed that on Jan 20, his solicitors had written to the Monetary Authority Singapore and Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) to obtain verification and documentation relating to the accounts of CEIL, Iron Rhapsdoy Ltd, Jho Low as well Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (former chief executive officer of SRC) and the legal proceedings taken towards the seizure of properties belonging to them.

Najib said on March 24 this year, his solicitors received an email from an officer of the CAD declining his solicitor’s requests and that he was also unable to obtain the evidence which had now been credibly verified via the MACC’s press statement dated Nov 19 this year.

On Nov 23, the appeals court fixed Dec 8 for a decision on Najib’s appeal. That same day, Najib applied to the court to vacate the decision date, due to the fact that he would be in Singapore until Dec 5.

However, the next day the appeals court rejected Najib’s application.