Najib’s stepson fails to transfer money laundering case to High Court
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court yesterday dismissed the application by Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz, the stepson of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to transfer his money laundering charges involving US$248 million (RM1.25 billion) from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
He allegedly misappropriated the sum from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali ruled that Sessions Court judges were competent to hear such cases.
“Sessions Court judges, including the judge in the case against the applicant are no less competent and very experienced to try such charges, and able to deal with other possible issues concerning the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2002, Evidence Act 1950 and the Federal Constitution,” he held.
He said charges under Section 4(1) of the the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (AMLATFA) were regularly tried at the Sessions Courts not just in Kuala Lumpur but also in other parts of the country.
To be able to succeed under Section 417(1)(b), the applicant must show that the question of law was truly and exceptionally difficult , asserted the judge.
“There are no concerns about the principle of equality before the law since the real issue is the need to comply with the prerequisites of Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) that must be established first,” he held, adding, the difference in the forum of the trial did not cause any prejudice to the applicant. Bernama