[UPDATED] SRC final appeal: Najib discharges lawyers from Zaid’s firm

PUTRAJAYA – In another dramatic turn of events, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has discharged his solicitors from lawyer Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim’s firm in the final appeal hearing on the former prime minister’s SRC International conviction.

Najib’s lead counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik briefly informed the Federal Court that “the solicitors have been discharged by the appellant” at the start of the appeal hearing here.

The solicitors Hisyam referred to are from Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners. 

This latest twist means Najib is left with Hisyam and two other lawyers – Low Wei Loke and Kee Wei Lon – as co-counsels.

Despite this, chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat instructed the proceedings to continue.

Ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram then continued his oral submissions before the five-person bench, which include chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

Yesterday, the apex court barred Hisyam from discharging himself and ordered him to proceed with the case.

Later, Najib said in a statement that Zaid approached him “some time back that he (Zaid) was able to bring in legal expertise from India through his Singaporean partner Niru Pillai”.

“I was then introduced to two senior counsels from India, who initially impressed me with their ideas. Ultimately, they were to do the back-end work while Datuk Zaid’s firm facilitated the court process. 

“Datuk Zaid and team came with a condition that their engagement must include his firm being placed as solicitor on record and a new local counsel come onboard,” Najib said.

Prior to the start of the final appeal hearing, Najib had changed lawyers, replacing Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and his law firm Shafee & Co with Hisyam, as well as with Zaid and lawyers from Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, effective July 25.

Liew Teik Huat and Rueben Mathiavaranam from Zaid’s firm were also reported to be co-counsels.

Due to the eleventh-hour appointment, Hisyam had repeatedly applied to the Federal Court for a postponement, saying his new team needed more time to prepare.

On August 10, Hisyam said during case management that he would discharge the defence team, leaving Najib to possibly lose his legal representation, if the court would not allow for further postponement.

However, on August 12, Zaid refuted that Hisyam would discharge the defence team if an adjournment was not granted and reaffirmed that they would not abandon Najib in this case.

On July 28, 2020, then high court judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 10 years’ jail on each of the three counts of criminal breach of trust and each of the three counts of money laundering; and 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine, in default of five years’ jail, for abusing his position.

Last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the high court’s decision and dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence, as well as the fine. – The Vibes, August, 19, 2022