PUTRAJAYA – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has been sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, is seeking to adjourn his appeal against his conviction and sentence, which is scheduled to begin on February 15.
His lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said a letter on the adjournment bid was submitted to the Court of Appeal president’s office today.
“We are asking for an adjournment because we need more time to examine the documents, as we have identified several corrections in the bundle, comprising notes on proceedings and 800 exhibits,” he told reporters after case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrars Darmafikri Abu Adam and N. Kanageswari.
He said the court has fixed January 25 for further case management.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, as well as lawyers Farhan Read and Nur Syahirah Hanapiah, representing Najib, were present during case management.
On October 1 last year, the court fixed 12 days, from February 15 to 18, and 22 to 25, and March 1 to 4, for the appeal hearing.
Najib has submitted 307 grounds in his appeal petition.
The Pekan MP, on July 30 last year, filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and sentence meted out two days earlier by high court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who found Najib guilty on seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power in relation to the RM42 million.
The former prime minister is out on a RM2 million bail with two sureties, pending his appeal. – Bernama, January 4, 2021