Najib withdraws appeal to get witness list, statements
Counsel says the former prime minister reserves the right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal.
PUTRAJAYA: Najib Razak today withdrew his appeal against the dismissal of his application for a list of witnesses interviewed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and witness statements taken during investigation in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
The three-man bench of Court of Appeal, comprising Kamaludin Md Said, P Ravinthran and Nordin Hassan, subsequently struck out the appeal.
Najib’s lawyer, Nur Syahirah Hanipah, informing the court of the withdrawal of the appeal, requested that the court record that Najib reserved his right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal, adding that the matter was agreed to by both parties.
Ad hoc deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaram said he did not have any objection to the application and Najib’s right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal.
On Nov 15 last year, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed Najib’s application to obtain a list of witnesses and witness statements to enable him to prepare his defence.
Najib, 67, made the application after he was ordered by the High Court on Nov 11 last year to enter his defence on seven charges relating to misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds.
On July 28, the Pekan MP was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million in default five years’ jail after he was found guilty on all seven charges.
He has obtained a stay of execution of the sentence pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
After today’s court proceedings, Syahirah told the media that they had obtained the court’s permission to have Najib’s attendance in court to be dispensed with.
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She said the proceedings were only for the withdrawal of the appeal, adding that Najib was required to attend the 1MDB corruption trial in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.