Latest news with #ShafeeAbdullah
Free Malaysia Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
It's a judicial matter, Anwar says on Najib's DNAA
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the discharge not amounting to an acquittal granted to Najib Razak is 'a question for the attorney-general'. (PMO pic) SUBANG JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refused to comment on the conditional discharge granted to Najib Razak earlier today, saying it is a judicial matter. 'I'm not going to weigh in, this is a question for the attorney-general,' he said when met by reporters after performing the Friday prayers in Puchong, here. Najib was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) earlier today in his RM27 million SRC International Sdn Bhd money laundering case. Justice K Muniandy made the ruling in the High Court, saying there was nothing to show that the prosecution was 'able to proceed with the case for the time being, or proceed within a reasonable time.' Last week, Najib's counsel Shafee Abdullah submitted that it was unfair for his client to wait indefinitely for a fixed trial date as the prosecution was unable to provide a timeline to gather the 807 exhibits used in the previous SRC trial. Najib, 71, had asked for the three money laundering charges, brought against him in February 2019, to be withdrawn. In a later case which began on April 3, 2019, Najib was slapped with seven charges of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million in SRC funds. On July 28, 2020, the High Court convicted the former prime minister of all seven charges. His appeals from his conviction and sentence were dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021 and the Federal Court on Aug 23, 2022. He received a partial pardon in January last year and is currently serving a reduced six-year prison term.
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia's Najib discharged over US$6.3 million money laundering case
A judge on Friday discharged disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak from a US$6.3 million money laundering case after ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide relevant documents to the defence. The ruling marks the second time a case involving Najib has been dismissed due to prosecutorial inaction, raising fresh questions about the conduct and priorities of the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC). Najib, who led the country for nine years until his defeat in the 2018 general election, is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence following his 2020 conviction in the first of several 1MDB-related cases . For this case, he has maintained that he was granted the right to home detention under the directive of Malaysia 's previous king. On Friday, High Court judge K. Muniandy granted Najib's application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) after defence lawyer Shafee Abdullah argued that it was unjust to keep the former prime minister in legal limbo for more than six years without a confirmed trial date. '[Najib] is very happy simply because there are not too many cases overhanging his head [now],' the lawyer told reporters after the verdict. A DNAA does not absolve the accused of an alleged offence and allows the prosecution to refile charges at a later date. Najib, now 72, was initially charged in February 2019 with three counts of receiving 27 million ringgit (US$6.3 million) in proceeds from unlawful activities through three personal bank accounts on July 8, 2014.
Free Malaysia Today
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Prisons dept was okay with Najib filing report, says Shafee
Lawyer Shafee Abdullah said the prisons department needed permission from the home minister for Najib Razak to file a police report in person. KUALA LUMPUR : Najib Razak's lawyer claims that the prisons department would have allowed the former prime minister to file a police report over the royal addendum issue if home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had given permission. However, Shafee Abdullah said that multiple letters for permission from the minister went unanswered, forcing him to help lodge the report on behalf of his client. 'The prison authorities are generous, they had no objections to Najib filing a report himself. Unfortunately, they needed permission from their superior, which is the home minister. 'We wrote to him multiple times but there was no reply,' he told a press conference at the lobby of the court complex here today. Earlier this week, Shafee lodged a police report against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for allegedly 'deliberately misleading' the High Court that the royal addendum was speculative and based on hearsay evidence. He lodged the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters. Shafee claimed that Terrirudin had committed an offence under Section 209 of the Penal Code, which relates to dishonestly making a false claim before a court. He also accused the ex-AG of committing an offence under Section 204 of the Penal Code by hiding a document with the intention of preventing it from being used as evidence in court. Last month, Najib filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against Terrirudin, who is now a Federal Court judge. His legal team claimed that Terrirudin, while serving as the AG, failed to reveal the former king's royal addendum allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest. During a hearing in January, Shafee told the Court of Appeal that the addendum was sent by the Pahang palace to Terrirudin on Jan 29, 2024.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Apex court allows Najib to attend appeal hearing on royal addendum
The Federal Court had previously fixed July 1 and 2 to hear the appeal against a Court of Appeal decision that allowed Najib Razak to initiate a judicial review related to the addendum. (EPA Images pic) PETALING JAYA : The Federal Court today allowed an application by Najib Razak to attend the hearing of the attorney-general's appeal on the existence of a royal addendum allegedly permitting him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. A three-member panel comprising Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim and Federal Court judges Zabariah Yusof and Hanipah Farikullah allowed the application, and issued an order to facilitate Najib's presence at the hearing in July. Bernama reported that the former prime minister's counsel, Shafee Abdullah, submitted the application and that it was unopposed by federal counsel Ainna Sherina Saipolamin, who represented the attorney-general. The Federal Court had previously fixed July 1 and 2 to hear the appeal against a Court of Appeal decision that allowed Najib to initiate a judicial review related to the addendum. In a 2-1 majority decision on Jan 6, the Court of Appeal remitted the case on Najib's claim of the existence of a royal addendum purportedly allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest to the High Court to be heard on its merits. This decision overturned the High Court's earlier dismissal of Najib's application for leave to commence a judicial review regarding the alleged addendum. Najib is currently serving a six-year jail sentence in connection with the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, following the Federal Court's dismissal of his appeal and review application. In February last year, the Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced his initial 12-year jail sentence and fine of RM210 million to six years and a RM50 million fine.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Shafee lodges police report against ex-AG over royal addendum
Najib Razak's lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, alleged that former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh had 'deliberately misled' the High Court over the royal addendum issue. KUALA LUMPUR : Najib Razak's lawyer has lodged a police report against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for allegedly 'deliberately misleading' the High Court that the royal addendum was speculative and based on hearsay evidence. At a press conference after lodging the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here today, Shafee Abdullah claimed that Terrirudin had committed an offence under Section 209 of the Penal Code, which relates to dishonestly making a false claim before a court. Shafee alleged that Terrirudin had also committed an offence under Section 204 of the Penal Code by hiding a document with the intention of preventing it from being used as evidence in court. He said he had lodged the police report on behalf of Najib, who had not received any response from the authorities after the former prime minister requested to lodge the report personally. Last month, Najib filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against Terrirudin. His legal team, Messrs Shafee & Co, claimed that Terrirudin, while serving as the attorney-general, failed to reveal the former king's royal addendum allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest. During a hearing in January, Shafee told the Court of Appeal the addendum was sent by the Pahang palace to Terrirudin on Jan 29, 2024.
