July 6 hearing of bid for Queen’s Counsel to represent Najib

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed July 6 to hear an application for a Queen’s Counsel (QC) from the United Kingdom (UK) to act for Najib Abdul Razak in his RM42 million SRC International corruption case appeal.

Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid set the hearing date during case management of the originating motion this afternoon.

Earlier today, another judge, Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, recused himself from hearing the QC bid on grounds that his immediate family member is an active member of Umno, the same political party that former prime minister Najib also belonged to.

Previously Umno president, Pekan MP Najib is now BN advisory board chairperson. Umno is part of the political coalition.

Kamal directed that respondents, the Bar Council and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee, file their reply to the QC bid by or on June 27.

The judge directed Najib’s legal team to file any reply to the Bar Council, KL Bar Committee, the attorney-general, and the prosecution filings by July 4, and for all parties to file their written submissions by July 5.

Many M’sian lawyers with expertise

Previously in an affidavit, the prosecution objected to the QC bid, contending among others that there are plenty of other lawyers in Malaysia with the legal expertise who could handle the numerous legal issues raised in Najib’s SRC appeal.

When met by the media at the sidelines of proceedings, lawyers Bastian Pius Vendargon and Vivekananda Sukumaran - representing the Bar Council and KL Bar Committee respectively - indicated they would also object to the QC application through filings with the court.

Previously for Najib’s bid for QC Jonathan Laidlaw to represent him, the former premier’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah contended that the UK counsel can help “evolve and mature” Malaysian jurisprudence.

In an affidavit of support, Shafee said this is because the matter involves “several novel points which had never been decided by Malaysian courts”.

The Federal Court has set 10 days in August to hear Najib’s final appeal to quash his conviction and sentence in the SRC graft case.

On Dec 8 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s appeal to overturn the lower court’s decision.

On July 28, 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found him guilty on one charge of abuse of position as then premier, three counts of criminal breach of trust, and three counts of money laundering involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International.

The lower court had also imposed a 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine but stayed the execution of the sentence pending disposal of Najib’s appeal.

Previously a subsidiary of 1MDB, SRC later became fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated.

Besides being a former prime minister, Najib also used to be finance minister, SRC’s adviser emeritus, and chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers. - Mkini