Malaysia

'Crucial witness' to back Najib application for house arrest, says lawyer

Court orders written submissions to be filed by April 15.

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 04 Apr 2024 1:04PM

'Crucial witness' to back Najib application for house arrest, says lawyer
Datuk Seri Najib Razak is making a bid to serve the rest of his jail term at home. – The Vibes file pic, April 4, 2024.

A "CRUCIAL witness" is expected to file an affidavit to support Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application for a judicial review to challenge the existence of an addendum order by the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong which would allow him to serve the remainder of his jail term at home.

Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today informed Justice Amarjeet Singh of this during today's hearing for the leave application in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Shafee did not disclose the identity of the witness, saying only that the person was in Mecca for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

He was speaking to reporters after the hearing.

The court allowed Shafee's application and ordered for written submissions to be filed by April 15.

Senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly, who appeared for the respondents, did not object.

The court fixed April 17 to decide whether to grant leave to Najib’s application for house arrest

Yesterday, Najib filed a judicial review application to the High Court to allow him to serve the rest of his jail term under house arrest.

Najib is seeking a copy of a purported “supplementary order” from the previous Yang diPertuan Agong dated January 29, 2024.

If the order exists, it would compel the government to release him from Kajang Prison to his residence in Kuala Lumpur. 

Najib said Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah issued the order during a meeting of the board.

The application was filed by his solicitor Messrs Shafee & Co on Monday.

The former prime minister claimed that the supplementary order, or addendum order, was omitted when his partial pardon was announced on February 2. – The Vibes, April 4, 2024

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