Umno's top two leaders have criticised the Federal Court for dismissing former premier Najib Abdul Razak's attempt to introduce new evidence in his final appeal against conviction.
In a statement last night, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party was "saddened" by the apex court's decision.
"Umno will not interfere with court affairs. However, we believe that justice need not only be done but it must be seen to be done," said Zahid.
In a separate statement, party deputy president Mohamad Hasan said all evidence must be considered and not set aside on technical grounds.
"While Umno agrees with and respects the legal maxim that justice delayed is justice denied, Umno also stresses that justice hurried is justice buried," he added.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court ruled against Najib's application to introduce new evidence in his appeal.
He had attempted to introduce new evidence which he claimed disqualified then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali from hearing his case and convicting him.
According to Najib's application, Nazlan was once employed by Maybank at a time when the bank loaned RM140 million to Putra Perdana Development Sdn Bhd (PPD).
Following that, according to Najib, PPD transferred the money to SRC International Sdn Bhd wherefrom RM42 million was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts.
This, among others, he argued, constitutes a conflict of interest on Nazlan's part.
However, the Federal Court ruled that both Najib's legal team and the prosecutors were fully aware, during the trial stage, that Nazlan was once under Maybank's employ.
"Both parties conceded during the argument that they knew, even before the commencement of trial, of Nazlan's position as general counsel and group company secretary of the Maybank Group of Companies before his elevation to the bench.
"It is not as if Nazlan’s previous employment with the Maybank Group of Companies was a secret to any party such that his subsequent involvement with them came as a surprise," said the Federal Court panel, led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
No conflict of interest
After considering the arguments, the Federal Court said it could not establish any evidence of conflict of interest or bias as argued by the defence team.
Read the Federal Court's broad grounds to reject Najib's applications here
In Zahid's statement, however, he maintained that Nazlan certainly would have "wide access" to the bank's administration including how RM42 million from the RM140 million loan would have ended up in Najib's bank account.
"It is universal judicial ethics for trial judges to recuse themselves from hearing or sentencing a case where there is a conflict of interest during or before they become judges.
"It is worse if there are attempts to hide the conflict of interest before a trial commences," he added. - Mkini
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