Najib drops appeal against dismissal of his bid to obtain witness list and statements

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak withdrew his appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of his bid to be supplied a list of witnesses interviewed by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) and witness statements during investigation in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. The Court of Appeal subsequently struck out the appeal.

Najib’s lawyer, Nur Syahirah Hanipah, informed the court of the withdrawal of the appeal. She, however, requested that the court record that the former prime minister reserved his right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal, adding that the matter was agreed to by both parties.

Ad hoc deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram told the three-man bench comprising Justices Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md

Said, P. Ravinthran and Datuk Nordin Hassan that he did not have any objection to the withdrawal application as well as on Najib’s right to raise the issue in his substantive appeal.

On Nov 15 last year, High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed Najib’s application to obtain a list of witnesses and witness statements to enable him to prepare his defence.

Najib, 67, had applied for the list and witness statements after he was ordered by the High Court on Nov 11 last year to enter his defence on seven charges relating to misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds.

On July 28, the Pekan MP was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years jail and fined RM210 million in default five years jail by the High Court on the seven charges. - Bernama