Pardons Board did not discuss Najib's application

 

The Pardons Board, which met this morning, did not discuss the application filed by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to be pardoned and released from prison.

Berita Harian reported that during today's hearing, the pardon petition against Najib was not presented by the legal affairs division of the Prime Minister's Department, as well as the board’s secretariat.

The Pardons Board meeting started at 11am and was chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"Today's hearing did not discuss Najib's appeal because the case of the 12-year prison sentencing and the RM210 million fine imposed on him for misappropriating the SRC International funds was just recently filed.

"The petition he filed needs to wait for its turn. The conference that took place today only discussed previous applications that were received earlier by the secretariat of the Pardon Board," Berita Harian quoted a source as saying.

On March 31, the five-judge panel of the Federal Court, in a 4-1 majority decision, rejected Najib's application to review his conviction for the RM42 million in the SRC International corruption case.

Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli chaired the panel of five judges which also included Federal Court judges Rhodzariah Bujang, Nordin Hassan and Vernon Ong Lam Kiat as well as Court of Appeal Judge Abu Bakar Jais.

This verdict is in line with a previous decision on Aug 23 last year by a different Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to uphold Najib's guilty verdict as well as a 12-year sentence and RM210 million fine. - Mkini