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Najib’s final appeal on SRC International conviction will see Federal Court hearing roughly six months from now

Datuk V. Sithambaram addresses members of the media at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya December 8, 2021. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Datuk V. Sithambaram addresses members of the media at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya December 8, 2021. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 8 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s conviction and sentencing appeal involving the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd is expected to be heard before the Federal Court six months from now.

Following the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the High Court’s ruling from July 28, 2020, which found Najib guilty of all seven charges relating to SRC’s RM42 million, ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram provided a rough timeline of how things would transpire from here onwards.

“I think it will come up for case management roughly three months from today and thereafter I think the case will probably be heard before the Federal Court in six months which they will have to take some time to deliver their judgement.

“So I am thinking may six to nine months (for the entire process at the Federal Court),” he told reporters during a press conference at the Palace of Justice here.

Sithambaram also noted that the appeal hearing at the Federal Court will be ‘quicker’ since all of the relevant documents and evidences have already been compiled on hand.

“As it stands, there is nothing for prosecutors to do because we have won our case so we will wait for the (Najib’s) appeal because they have just filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court.

“Now that is already ready, what we have to compile is only the proceedings in the Court of Appeal which are all in written form and the grounds of judgement,” he added.

Earlier today, Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who chaired the three-man bench alongside Datuk Has Zanah Mehat and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, delivered the unanimous ruling against Najib’s appeal via video-conferencing at the Palace of Justice here.

Subsequent to his failed appeal, Najib managed to successfully obtained a stay of execution for his sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment and RM210 million fine as imposed on him by the Court of Appeal today.

This would meant that Najib would remain free despite his conviction, pending his appeal at the Federal Court.

The High Court previously sentenced Najib to 10 years’ jail for each of six charges (three counts each of criminal breach of trust and money laundering), as well as 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine with an additional five years’ jail if the fine is not paid for the abuse of position charge.

The High Court had decided that all the prison sentences would run concurrently or at the same time, which would mean maximum imprisonment of 12 years for Najib.\

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