Najib can be cited for contempt, say lawyers

Two lawyers have opined that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak can be cited for contempt if he refuses to sit in the dock in any of his court cases.

Lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla said Najib had committed an offence by refusing to get in the dock during the case management of his 25 charges for money laundering and abuse of power. 

Haniff believes that this constitutes contempt for not abiding by court procedures.

"I propose to the prosecution that in any future criminal proceedings against Najib, where he refuses to sit in the dock, then the prosecution should initiate contempt proceedings.

"If found guilty, Najib may face a jail term," he said, adding that no one should be seen as being above the law or receiving preferential treatment.

Another lawyer, Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al Mahdzar (photo), also said that Najib should face punishment for contempt of court.

"It is highly unbecoming of the former prime minister, who is an accused person, to refuse to enter the dock during case management.

"As the accused person, he clearly showed that he is intentionally, and blatantly, disrespecting the court.

"He was repeatedly asked to do so but chose to disregard the court's instruction," he told Malaysiakini.

Syed Iskandar stated that since Najib’s action was a clear-cut case of contempt, the attorney-general should proceed to charge him, with the hearing and sentencing on the matter to proceed within a period of two weeks.

In the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur last Friday, Najib disregarded instructions from the police and the prosecutor for him to be in the dock.

Najib was twice asked to enter the dock, after the prosecutor from the MACC, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, asked court police to order the former premier to do so.

Despite this, Najib sat outside the dock – which a person charged with a summons offence is allowed to do until the end of the proceeding – before Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob. - Mkini