PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has refused Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to reinstate his lawsuit against the government to question his 2015 Sodomy 2 conviction.
Judge Abu Bakar Jais, in delivering the court’s unanimous decision, said the lower court did not err in its decision to strike out the lawsuit.
“The appellant (Anwar) said it was in public domain that Muhammad Shafee Abdullah received RM9.5 million from the former prime prime minister (Najib Razak) before his appeal started, and making Shafee a (ad hoc) prosecutor who was not independent.
“However, that allegation was a mere assertion and not supported by evidence.
“In any event, even if it was proven the said money was paid to Shafee, we don’t think this affected the Court of Appeal and Federal Court’s decision,” he said.
The other judges who sat with Bakar were Lee Swee Seng and Supang Lian.
Bakar pointed out that the lawsuit was an attempt to set aside Anwar’s Sodomy 2 conviction.
“The High Court was right in deciding that this case is an abuse of process,” he added.
In his lawsuit, Anwar alleged that Shafee received RM9.5 million from Najib to lead the prosecution team in the Court of Appeal and Federal Court beginning in 2013. Anwar was sentenced to five years in prison, and subsequently received a royal pardon.
He filed an appeal after the lawsuit was struck off by the High Court, and in September 2018, former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ special officer, Siti Rahayu Mohd Mumazaini, filed an affidavit to support Anwar’s application to reinstate his suit.
She stated that Shafee received RM9.5 million between 2013 and 2014 from Najib for handling the Sodomy 2 appeal.
Shafee is currently standing trial on four counts of money laundering over the RM9.5 million he received from Najib.
Anwar was represented by J Leela and How Li Nee, while senior federal counsel Suzana Atan appeared for the government. Sarah Abishegam represented Shafee, who was made an intervenor. - FMT
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