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KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Najib Razak could lose his legal representation ahead of his Federal Court appeal hearing in the RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.
Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said he will discharge the team if the court refuses to postpone the hearing.
The court previously dismissed the defence’s application slated for August 15 even though they said they needed more time to prepare.
According to Malaysiakini, this was conveyed to the Federal Court during case management this afternoon.
The defence team, consisting of Messrs Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners and led by Hisyam, were only hired a few weeks before his final appeal in the apex court next Monday.
The case management this afternoon had also heard Najib’s application to adduce fresh evidence in the SRC International trial, ultimately seeking a retrial.
On Monday, the Federal Court is set to hear Najib’s application for a retrial.
In his application, Najib had continued to insist on additional evidence that would purportedly show a serious conflict of interest by judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, and he is seeking a retrial for the entire SRC International case.
Should Najib fail in his application, the court will proceed with the hearing for his appeal on the same day.
On March 16, the Federal Court dismissed Najib’s appeal to adduce fresh evidence in his attempt to overturn his conviction in the SRC International case.
Najib, 68, made the application following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) press release last November 19, on the recovery of assets from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, inter alia, from Singapore – whereby the Singapore government had repatriated US$15.4 million (RM64.65 million) to Malaysia relating to an account owned by Cutting-Edge Industries Ltd owner Datuk Tawfiq Ayman.
Tawfiq is the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Najib claimed that the evidence was not available during the SRC International criminal trial before the Kuala Lumpur High Court and that the new evidence was “materially relevant” to the issues linked to the case.
The Pekan MP, who has been freed on an RM2 million bail, had sought to include new evidence and wanted to call MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki and SRC International investigating officer Rosli Hussein to testify. – The Vibes, August 10, 2022