PETALING JAYA: A pardon for Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is not legally possible at this time, says former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas (pix).
Thomas said that there are specific criteria to be met before a convict obtains a pardon and among those is not having any other criminal cases pending.
“The Pekan MP fails to meet this criterion because he has four more cases in the judicial process.
“If you are a convict, and you apply, you cannot have other criminal cases.
“In Najib’s case, he has four other pending cases, two of which are advanced. The audit trial is nearly complete, while the prosecution’s case in the (1Malaysia Development Berhad) Tanore trial has crossed the halfway line,” Thomas told Malaysiakini.
Thomas expects the defence to be called in all other pending cases.
“Therefore, you cannot be entertaining a pardon for offence number one when you have the other four pending,“ he added.
Najib has been in Kajang Prison since August 23.
Earlier this week, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun confirmed Najib had applied to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for a pardon.