LAWYER accused of corruption Muhammad Shafee Abdullah failed in his application for the recusal of senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, nor did Shafeee succeed in obtaining the appointment letter of the former Federal Court judge, in court today.
High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed the applications after hearing the submissions by lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, representing Muhammad Shafee, and the prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar.
In the judgment, Sequerah said Shafee’s application for Sri Ram’s appointment letter was dismissed because the court was bound by the Federal Court’s decision to allow the prosecution’s application for Sulaiman Abdullah’s appointment letter to lead the prosecution team in former prime minister Najib’s trial case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds to not be produced to the defence.
Najib had applied for the prosecution to produce Sulaiman’s appointment letter, but it was dismissed by the High Court, after which he appealed to the Court of Appeal, which ruled in his favour.
The prosecution then appealed against the decision to the Federal Court, and won.
On Shafee’s application to recuse Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in his case, Sequerah said he based it on his own decision in dismissing Najib’s application to also recuse Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in his case involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund.
On September 13 last year, Shafee, 66, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to receiving proceeds from unlawful activity via cheques issued by Najib which were remitted into Shafee’s CIMB Bank Berhad account. He allegedly received a cheque for RM4.3 million on Sept 13, 2013 and another for RM5.2 million on Feb 17, 2014.
He allegedly committed the two offences at CIMB Bank Bhd in Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku.
Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 provides for the penalty of a fine not exceeding RM5 million or up to five years’ jail or both upon conviction.
The cases have been transferred for hearing at the High Court.
– Bernama
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