‘PROSECUTION ACTING UNFAIRLY’
Ex-PM claims trial to receiving RM42m in illegal proceeds
DATUK Seri Najib Razak’s lawyers are decrying the ‘late’ submission of prosecution documents. The legal team of the former PM, who is slapped with three more charges of receiving RM42 million in illegal proceeds, is also questioning the transfer of the judge who originally presided over the case.
“They also just handed me my client’s written statement today. This should have been given on the day he (Najib) was charged.” Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah Najibʼs lawyer
FORMER prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was slapped with an additional three charges of receiving RM42 million in illegal proceeds.
Najib, in a blue suit, was calm when he claimed trial at the High Court here.
As Najib stood in the dock, behind him in the packed public gallery were his children, Norashman and Nooryana Najwa, and son-in-law Daniyar Kessikbayev.
Earlier, he was charged at the Sessions Court, where his plea was not recorded.
The lower court judge, Azura Alwi, allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer the case to the High Court.
After Najib’s plea was recorded, High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer the case to another High Court, where Najib faced four existing charges.
At the other High Court, judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allowed the prosecution’s bid to hear all of Najib’s charges together.
Before Nazlan, amended versions of the earlier three charges of criminal breach of trust and one of abuse of power were read out, following which Najib maintained his plea of not guilty.
The judge set tomorrow to hear Najib’s application to extend the gag order preventing the media from discussing the merits of the case. Nazlan also set for the High Court to fix trial dates of the case.
In the three fresh counts, Najib was alleged to have received RM27 million, RM5 million and RM10 million, which were purportedly proceeds from illegal activities, at an Am-Islamic Bank branch at Jalan Raja Chulan here between Dec 26, 2014, and Feb 10, 2015.
The former Barisan Nasional chairman allegedly received them via electronic funds transfer into his account at the bank.