Apex court orders Najib to apply for Queen’s Counsel by May 20

PUTRAJAYA – The Federal Court has directed Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to file his application to appoint a Queen’s Counsel (QC) from the United Kingdom for his appeal against his conviction and sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case by May 20.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said the deadline was fixed by Federal Court deputy registrar Siti Hajar Mustaffa during online proceedings today.

“The hearing for admission of the QC is tentatively fixed for a date between June 20 and 24. However, the actual date of hearing will be confirmed during the next case management,” he said.

The QC’s appointment will be on an ad-hoc basis after obtaining admission from the Malaysian court.

Meanwhile, Ashrof said the court has also fixed March 15 and 16 to hear Najib’s appeal to adduce new evidence, while for the main appeal (against his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case), the next case management will be held on February 25 at 3pm.

On Tuesday, law firm Messrs Shafee & Co submitted a six-page letter to the secretariat of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Najib’s intention to appoint a QC from the UK to assist the former prime minister in complex issues and legal questions in his SRC International appeal at the Federal Court. 

On December 7 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s application to adduce new evidence in his appeal by ruling that Najib had failed to cumulatively satisfy Section 61 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 that fresh evidence was required for justice in the case.

On the next day, the same court upheld the conviction, carrying a 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine for Najib, for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC funds.

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

After the ruling, Najib then filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court. – Bernama, January 28, 2022