Team questions transfer of trial judge

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s legal team has questioned the propriety of the transfer of the High Court judge, who had recorded the former prime minister’s plea when he was charged with criminal breach of trust and abuse of power last month.

Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who leads Najib’s legal team, said he had sent a letter to the Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zaharah Ibrahim to raise concerns regarding the transfer of Datuk Mohd Sofian Abd Razak to a new civil court.

Zaharah had signed the letter of transfer and Najib’s case was then placed under a new judge, Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

“I extended a copy of the letter to Sofian and Nazlan to put on record that we think the system (registry in Putrajaya) is not sensitive. If you think Sofian should recuse himself, then each party (prosecution and defence) should make the application before him,” said Shafee.

“But nobody made any application to recuse Sofian. We are not complaining about the judges, but we are not satisfied about the process.”

After Najib’s case was brought before Sofian on July 4, it was learnt that the judge was the younger brother of Pahang state executive councillor Datuk Seri Mohd Sofi Razak, prompting some to call for the judge to be recused.

Sofian was transferred later, but Zaharah’s office said the transfer had nothing to do with his relationship with a high-level Umno member but had been “normal practice”.