KUALA LUMPUR – An annoyed Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah lambasted media personnel who had been waiting in the court complex lobby here today after they attempted to ask him for updates on his client Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“I am not going to say anything to you (the media). You twist and turn our words, okay, even in court,” he said as he arrived at the court complex this afternoon when the former prime minister’s hearing for his 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial resumed.
When pressed about how Najib is coping in prison, Shafee brushed off the questions.
“Go and find out for yourselves,” he retorted before making his way to the courtroom where Najib is currently being tried for allegedly misappropriating RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.
An annoyed Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah lambasted media personnel today after they attempted to ask him questions about updates on his client Datuk Seri Najib Razak. pic.twitter.com/mZfGmERuyk
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) August 25, 2022
This is after the Federal Court had on Tuesday upheld the lower court’s conviction of Najib on all seven charges in his SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.
He has begun serving 12 years in prison and must pay RM210 million in fines, becoming the first former Malaysian prime minister to spend time behind bars.
Prior to the verdict, Shafee had briefly shown up to the Federal Court and pleaded for an adjournment in a bid to help lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik supplement his submission to recuse Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat from hearing the final SRC appeal.
However, this request was denied and Shafee immediately left the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya.
Prior to the start of the final SRC appeal hearing, Najib had changed lawyers, discharging Shafee and his law firm Shafee & Co, and replacing them with Hisyam and solicitors from Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, since July 25.
However, on August 19, Hisyam informed the court that Najib had discharged his solicitors from Zaid’s law firm. – The Vibes, August 25, 2022