KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here today allowed an application by lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is facing charges for money laundering, to amend the date for the temporary release of his passport for his trip to Australia which will involve a meeting with a King’s Counsel from the United Kingdom.
Shafee applied to amend the date, which was initially from September 6 to September 12, to September 15 to September 19, 2022.
Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin allowed Shafee’s application after deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz did not object to it.
Earlier, lawyer Wee Yeong Kang, representing Shafee, said his client requested to amend the dates as he (Shafee) had to postpone his travel.
This is because the King’s Counsel, Geoffrey Robertson, needs time to study the documents first before he can give any advice or recommendations to Shafee, he said, adding that his client would return the passport to the court on September 22.
Shafee, who was the lead counsel in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s cases relating to SRC International Sdn Bhd and 1Malaysia Development Bhd, had been allowed to travel abroad on several occasions after he was charged in court.
The 70-year-old lawyer surrendered his passport to the court in September 2018 after he was charged with two counts of receiving money amounting to RM9.5 million, allegedly from illegal activities, through two cheques issued by Najib which were deposited into his CIMB Bank Bhd account.
He is also facing two charges of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns and in violation of Paragraph 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending December 31, 2013, and December 31, 2014.
On May 12, the prosecution closed the case after calling eight witnesses. The oral submission has been fixed for this September 15. – Bernama, September 13, 2022
