THE Federal Court has reaffirmed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s conviction and sentence in the SRC International case.
This means that Najib is set to begin serving his jail term immediately, according to news reports.
The five-person apex court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat this afternoon unanimously dismissed the former prime minister’s appeal to quash his conviction over seven criminal charges as well as the sentencing.
The other judges sitting with Tengku Maimun are Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court Judges Datuk P. Nalini, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Muhammad Zabidin Mohd Diah.
On July 28, 2020, the then High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 10 years’ jail on each of the three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and each of the three counts of money laundering, and 12 years’ jail and a RM210 mil fine, in default five years’ jail, in the case of abuse of position.
Last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s decision and dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence as well as the fine.
With the decision, Najib becomes the first former prime minister in the history of the country to be jailed.
Today’s decision also means that Najib is automatically disqualified from his seat as the MP for Pekan under article 48(1)(e) of the Federal Constitution. – Aug 23, 2022
