The Court of Appeal allowed Najib Abdul Razak’s application to revise the period of temporary release of his passport to Dec 6.
A three-person bench today, chaired by judge Kamaludin Md Said, greenlighted the former prime minister’s application as no objections were raised by deputy public prosecutor Shafiq Hasim.
The other members of today’s bench are judges Nordin Hassan and Hashim Hamzah.
Initially, on Oct 18, the Court of Appeal allowed Najib’s temporary passport release application so he could be in Singapore to give support to his expectant daughter, Nooryana Najwa. The period given was from Oct 20 to Nov 22.
However, later on Oct 26, Najib was allowed by three separate benches of the Kuala Lumpur High Court to extend the temporary passport-release period to Dec 6.
Previously, it was reported that Najib sought the extension as he first needed to manage the BN party machinery for the Malacca state election on Nov 20, then the next day to go to Singapore to give support to Nooryana, who is expected to give birth to her second child.
Today’s revision application before the Court of Appeal is to extend the passport-release duration to Dec 6.
Passport not released lightly
During today’s proceedings, Kamaludin reminded Najib’s counsel Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee that the bench would not just easily allow such passport-release applications unless a good reason was given.
The judge noted that the bench today allowed the revision on the passport-release period only because there was no objection raised by the DPP, following the prosecution having perused the cause papers.
“This is the second time you have come before the Court of Appeal. The first time (reason cited for the temporary release of Najib’s passport) was to visit Singapore (to give support to Nooryana).
“Then now (Najib’s defence team is citing) the (Malacca) elections (for revision on the temporary passport release).
“We need to remind that the court will not just easily allow such applications.
“First time, there was (cited) urgency on that reason (to go to Singapore to support Nooryana). But now the reason has changed.
“Today, we found that the explanation (cited) is reasonable, and the DPP has affirmed it is reasonable and raised no objection.
“So the court allows this application. Passport must be returned by Dec 6,” Kamaludin ruled.
The court is holding on to Najib’s passport due to his various pending criminal cases.
Besides his RM42 million SRC International corruption case, for which he had been convicted and sentenced (and is in the process of appeal before the Court of Appeal), Najib also has three other pending criminal cases before the three separate High Court judges in Kuala Lumpur.
Najib is undergoing trial for an RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption case before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, and another trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan for alleged involvement in the amendment to 1MDB’s audit report.
The Pekan MP also has a pending case that has not gone to trial yet, involving an alleged criminal breach of trust of RM6.6 billion in government funds linked to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) payments, before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin.
Recently, separate courts have also greenlit temporary passport release for three other prominent accused persons still undergoing trial for various criminal offences, namely Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, and former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Deputy public prosecutors Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam and Shafiq Hasim did not raise any objections during the three separate proceedings. - Mkini
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