Najib to apply for Queen’s Counsel from UK for SRC appeal

Former prime minister Najib Razak will apply for a Queen’s Counsel from the UK to argue his appeal to quash his conviction, 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for the SRC International Sdn Bhd case in the Federal Court.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Andrin Kamarul said Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed Federal Court registrar Siti Hajar Mustaffa of the matter during online proceedings today.

“The defence will write a letter to the Federal Court by tomorrow on their intention to apply for a Queen’s Counsel from the UK to attend and argue on Najib’s appeal.

“The court has fixed Jan 28 for the next case management to determine the next step for the appeal,” he told reporters.

The appointment of a Queen’s Counsel will be on an ad hoc basis after admission is obtained from the Malaysian court.

The court also fixed March 15 and 16 to hear Najib’s appeal to adduce new evidence.

On Dec 7 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s application to adduce new evidence in his appeal, ruling that Najib had failed to cumulatively satisfy Section 61 of the Courts of Judicature Act that fresh evidence was required for justice in the case.

The next day, the same court upheld the conviction, 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine on Najib for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.

Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member bench comprising justices Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, dismissed Najib’s appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision on July 28, 2020.

The same day, Najib, 69, filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court.