PUTRAJAYA – Lead prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision today upholding the conviction of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over corruption involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.
He suggested that the verdict pronounced by Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil negates any arguments that the prosecution had elements of politics.
“As prosecutors we have investigation papers and the testimonies of all witnesses. There’s no politics there, these are cold hard facts.
“Two courts and four judges found that the evidence pointed towards the commission of offences Najib was charged with.
“I think the facts speak for themselves,” Sithambaram said during a press conference inside the Palace of Justice.
He also took the opportunity to explain there is currently no gag order against Najib over the making of comments concerning the case, but warned that anyone who comments on a pending matter with the intention to influence the case could be found guilty of contempt.
“But I think very often the rules are broken,” he added.
As for Karim’s comments referring to Najib’s actions as a “national embarrassment” as opposed to being done in national interest, as argued by the defence, Sithambaram said the remark was probably because of the bad publicity the case has brought to the country.
Sithambaram said that the defence’s argument that Najib was acting in the national interest failed due to the fact that the Pekan MP was not concerned with certain transactions that occurred with regards to SRC International funds.
Today, the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision upheld Najib’s conviction over seven charges involving corruption over funds related to the 1MDB-linked company.
While delivering the judgment, the Court of Appeal acknowledged that the high court was correct in its findings that Najib committed the offences he was charged with and that the prosecution proved the elements of the case beyond a reasonable doubt. – The Vibes, December 8, 2021
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