Former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram (above) today strongly objected to Najib Abdul Razak's bail application after the latter was charged with money-laundering in the 1MDB affair, saying the former premier had interfered in the probe.
Sri Ram told Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi that Najib was also the highest-ranking executive in government ever to have breached the trust of the people.
"The accused had interfered in the investigations since 2015.
"This case involves the man (then) holding the highest office in the executive of the country and he is facing serious charges involving a lot of (state) money and he must realise the severity of the offences and (also that) the public should also know the seriousness (of such actions)," he told the court.
"US attorney-general (Jeff Sessions) had said that this was a case of 'kleptocracy at its worst' and put Malaysia on the world map for all for the wrong reasons," said the former judge who has been appointed as an ad hoc prosecutor by the attorney-general for this case.
While Sri Ram did not explain the interference, he was believed to be referring to the disruption in MACC investigations which had seen officers transferred and police directed to arrest a MACC prosecutor.
Najib in late July 2015 had also ordered the removal of the then attorney general Abdul Gani Patail who was heading the task force on the 1MDB investigations.
Sri Ram also highlighted various social media postings by Najib on social media which he said were an attempt to sway public opinion and disrupt on-going investigations as a reason not to grant bail.
Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah criticised the move by the prosecution to try and bar his client from making any comments on the case.
"This comes from a government wanting to promote free speech and now you are trying to shackle my client," he said, adding that a bail of RM500,000 was sufficient.
The prosecution had asked for a bail of RM5 million with two sureties and other conditions including that Najib cannot appear in public or make statements regarding the case.
Sept 28 deadline
The former premier wearing a light blue shirt and matching navy blue blazer arrived at the court complex at 1:50 pm and was immediately taken into the courtroom to face four MACC charges of abusing his position as premier and finance minister and 21 charges of money-laundering in excess of RM2.082 billion.
Sessions judge Azura Alwi allowed bail at RM3.5 million with two sureties but did not impose the other conditions asked by the prosecution.
The judge ordered that the amount is paid by Sept 28 and fixed Nov 16 for mention.
Shafee gave an undertaking that RM1 million will be paid tomorrow and the remaining in staggered amounts by the deadline.
The four MACC charges are the main (predicate) offences while the 21 money-laundering charges are subsidiary charges.
Under the MACC Act, Najib stands to face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of up to five times the amount of each charge.
For money laundering, the former premier stands to face a maximum fine of RM5 million or five years jail or both. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.