THE Federal Court has refused disgraced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bid for it to review its ruling last year upholding his conviction for misappropriating RM42 mil from SRC International, cementing his 12-year jail sentence and RM210 mil fine.
Today’s ruling by the five-judge bench led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli in a majority 4-1 verdict effectively endorsed the Aug 2022 decision of the panel chaired by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat that ordered Najib to begin serving his sentence.
The others in today’s panel were Federal Court judges Datuk Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang, and Datuk Nordin Hassan, who were joined by Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abu Bakar Jais.
Najib, 69, who is currently serving a 12-year jail term in Kajang prison, had sought to overturn the decision made by the previous panel of the Federal Court led by Tengku Maimun.
Najib, in his review application, sought an acquittal or for re-hearing of his final appeal at the Federal Court.
On July 28, 2020, Justice Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali found Najib guilty of all seven charges – three for criminal breach of trust, three for money-laundering, and one for abuse of power – at the High Court.
Mohd Nazlan, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, then sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison and fined him RM210 mil in default five years imprisonment.
His decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021. – March 31, 2023
Main pic credit: AFP
