Court to hear Shafee’s bid to disqualify Sri Ram

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is accused of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM9.5mil from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has filed an application to disqualify former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team.

Muhammad Shafee is facing two charges for receiving the money and two charges for making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board.

According to Bernama, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Izzat Fauzan said the defence had filed the application to disqualify Sri Ram.

“The defence has submitted the notice of motion and affidavit to the prosecution. The court set Jan 22 next year for the prosecution to file the affidavit-in-reply.

“The case management is fixed for Jan 24, 2019 before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah,” he said after the proceedings of the case, which was held in the chambers of High Court deputy registrar Farah Azura Mohd Saad, ended yesterday.

On Sept 13, Muhammad Shafee told the court he would file a formal application to disqualify Sri Ram on grounds that the latter was current- ly representing PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Court of Appeal in relation to the same RM9.5mil. In that capacity, he said, Sri Ram was not independent and had an agenda.

On Aug 31, Attorney General Tommy Thomas announced the appointment of Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor to assist with 1Malaysia Development Bhdlinked cases.