KUALA LUMPUR – The nation’s political drama continues, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob denying all allegations that there have been attempts to pressure him into meddling in the court proceedings involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Speaking to press members today, Ismail Sabri also refuted claims that there was internal pressure from Umno on him to call for early polls.
“No,” he said briefly, when asked by press members if there had been attempts to get him to intervene in the outcome of Najib’s conviction appeal.
“I don’t know (of any insistence by Umno division leaders to call for early polls).
“I was not there yesterday. All I heard was Tok Mat’s (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan) statement in Perak yesterday and among the things he spoke about were to strengthen the party.
“That is normal for Umno. We hold discussions to strengthen the party,” he told reporters after closing the Budget 2023 Consultation event at the Finance Ministry this afternoon.
His remarks today follow talk that Umno’s top brass convened for a discreet emergency meeting at Ismail Sabri’s official residence in Seri Perdana yesterday evening.
Several sources told The Vibes that the leaders from the top five party posts had left Putrajaya at about 10pm without speaking to reporters who were stationed there during the talks.
The two-hour meeting, which started around 8pm, was shrouded in secrecy with all parties keeping mum.
The talks at the prime minister’s official residence came after Zahid chaired a meeting with dozens of Umno division leaders, in an alleged bid to pressure Ismail Sabri to intervene in Najib’s final appeal against his SRC International conviction and to call for elections.
Umno division chiefs that gathered yesterday morning at the party’s headquarters had allegedly asked that Ismail Sabri make a request to Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to allow a three-month extension for the appeal proceedings to allow Najib to engage new counsel after the withdrawal of his previous lawyers.
This comes amid attempts made by Najib’s defence team led by Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to obtain an extension to the proceedings at the Federal Court to allow them to adequately prepare and argue their case.
After failing in his bid, Hisyam also applied to discharge himself from the case, which was rejected by the court.
Najib subsequently discharged his solicitors from Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, leaving Hisyam and two others – Low Wei Loke and Kee Wei Lon – as the sole remaining co-counsels.
The division chiefs, who were summoned by Zahid yesterday, had also allegedly called for Ismail Sabri to instruct the attorney-general to proceed with the investigations against appellate court judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali for alleged abuse of power and judicial bias.
They claim Nazlan, who had convicted Najib, could be prejudiced, having worked for Maybank previously, as the bank is crucial in Najib’s SRC trial due to accounts that received the stolen funds.
Ismail Sabri had been said to be adamant not to interfere in the judicial process, constantly emphasising the doctrine of the separation of powers. – The Vibes, August 23, 2022
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