In a statement today, Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed he appointed a new team of lawyers yesterday for his final appeal in the Federal Court against his conviction for misappropriating over RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Telegram channel and browser alerts for the latest news you need to know.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak clarified today that Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah remained one of his lawyers and was only discharged for his final appeal against his SRC International conviction.
In a statement today, Najib confirmed he appointed a new team of lawyers yesterday for his final appeal in the Federal Court against his conviction for misappropriating over RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds.
Najib confirmed that Hisyam Teh Poh Teik would be his lead counsel in the SRC appeal, while the law firm Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners will be the solicitors for this case.
He explained he decided to appoint a new team of lawyers for his final SRC appeal after the High Court on July 21 rejected a bid by UK lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw to be allowed to practise in Malaysia to represent him in the SRC case.
Najib said he also sought the advice of senior lawyers in Singapore and India before deciding to swap out his team of lawyers for the final SRC appeal.
The former PM expressed his “confidence that the new team that has been assembled will bring different perspectives” to his defence.
He also referred to his June 7 application to the Federal Court to ultimately seek to nullify the entire SRC trial and to push for a retrial, saying that the issue of alleged conflict of interest by the SRC trial judge was a “serious” issue both for the judge and the litigants.
Najib said he would not want to comment on this issue as the application is now pending before the Federal Court.
As for all the other criminal trials that Najib is currently facing in local courts, Najib confirmed that Shafee and the latter’s law firm Shafee & Co will continue to be his lawyers for those cases.
He also expressed his “support and appreciation to his entire legal team for their continuing commitment and effort in ensuring he is given a fair trial”.
Najib also said it was “unfair” for the media to conclude or report that Shafee & Co had been “evicted” or “ditched”.
“He joins many others in their confidence that the Malaysian legal system and legal processes will prove his innocence and provide the justice, that all Malaysians deserve in law,” the statement concluded.
MORE TO COME