SRC case: Najib's defence team claims there's more suppressed evidence

 

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's legal team today claimed that there is more evidence in the SRC International case that allegedly has been kept from the defence's knowledge.

Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told a press conference that the team is working to get its hands on some documents, after which it would make an application to the Federal Court to adduce as new evidence in Najib's appeal.

"We learnt that there is more evidence which has been suppressed (from Najib's defence team), which we were not informed of either by the MACC or the police.

"We will put in another application to adduce as new evidence," he said.

Shafee, who is Najib's lead counsel, however, declined to elaborate on the supposed new evidence.

He said the team needs to confirm the matter first before revealing what the new evidence is.

"We cannot reveal now because we need to confirm it first. Otherwise, it would be just empty talk."

The team is expecting to be able to gather all that it needs and file the new application within the next two months.

According to Shafee, the legal team needed the time as it would not be an easy feat to gather the evidence.

"Sometimes, when we want to look for documents, in a situation where authorities are actively trying to hide them from us, it would be hard for us to find.

"But God's willing, we will get them," he said.

Last year, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali had found Najib guilty on seven charges encompassing criminal breach of trust (CBT), money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International.

The judge had sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and a fine of RM210 million, with an additional five-year jail term if the fine is not paid.

The trial court had allowed the defence team's application for a stay of execution of the sentence, pending disposal of the appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The appeal hearing lasted for 15 days and was completed on May 18, 2021, before the appellate court set Dec 8 as the date to announce its decision.

However, about a week before the court was set to deliver its judgement, Najib filed an application to bring in fresh evidence.

The court however dismissed Najib's application after a hearing on Dec 7. - Mkini