Law firm Zaid Ibrahim Suffian TH Liew & Partners said this was in light of the change of solicitors and counsel representing Najib.
“We also humbly request the court to fix a mention or case management date on an urgent basis to enable counsel to provide and update and to obtain further instructions from the court,” they said.
The firm requested that the court hold a case management on July 29.
Earlier today, Najib’s previous lawyers from Shafee & Co informed the Federal Court that the former prime minister had discharged them.
“The appellant wishes to inform that he has appointed Zaid Ibrahim Suffian TH Liew & Partners as solicitors,” Shafee & Co said.
The SRC International final appeal was scheduled to be heard before the Federal Court for 10 days from Aug 15 to 26.
In 2020, Najib was convicted on seven charges of power abuse, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in relation to RM42 million belonging to SRC International that was deposited into his bank accounts.
The court sentenced him to 12 years in jail and a RM210 million fine. He is out on bail pending his Federal Court hearing.
Hisyam Teh to appear for Najib
The law firm also told the court that senior lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik would appear for Najib, replacing Shafee Abdullah, in the appeal.
Shafee led Najib’s defence in the SRC International case at the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Hisyam, who has 45 years of experience, is currently representing Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the former deputy prime minister’s corruption cases in the High Court.
Hisyam previously represented Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who was accused of murdering Kim Jong-nam in 2017.
She was jointly charged for the offence with Indonesian Siti Aisyah. However, the prosecution withdrew the murder charge against Siti.
Subsequently, Doan pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of causing hurt to Kim by smearing VX nerve agent on his face at the departure hall of klia2.
The High Court sentenced her to three years in prison. Doan returned home in 2019 after serving her jail sentence.
Hisyam also appeared in several high-profile criminal cases, representing tow truck driver Koong Swee Kuan in his final appeal over AmBank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi’s murder, as well as farmhand T Thilaiyalagan in cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya’s murder case.
Zaid Ibrahim Suffian TH Liew also told the court that they would not be pursuing an appeal in seeking to admit Queen’s Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw to argue the SRC International appeal.
Last week, the High Court rejected Laidlaw’s bid to be admitted before the courts here to represent Najib.
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