KEPONG MP Lim Lip Eng has described as “deeply concerning” the discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) accorded by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Both Najib and Irwan was granted the DNAA over six criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges linked to alleged payments of RM6.6 bil government funds to the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
During open-court proceedings yesterday (Nov 27), judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin pointed out that the prosecution failed to abide by the requirements of Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which mandates disclosure of evidence to the defence.
Noting that the case which was registered in 2018 involves a huge amount of public money and has captured the attention of the entire nation, the DAP lawmaker said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has a responsibility to ensure that justice is served without any delay, compromise or obstruction.
In this regard, Lim called for two measures to be implemented immediately, the first being for the AGC to conduct a case review leading to a re-prosecution.
“The AGC must review this case and if there is strong evidence, Najib and Irwan must be re-prosecuted without delay,” Lim who is also the DAP Kuala Lumpur state committee secretary (2024-2027) pointed out in a statement.
“This action is important to ensure that the justice process can continue in an open, transparent, and fair manner.”
The other measure proposed by Lim is to ensure that all prosecution documents are complete.
“All important documents required for the prosecution must be fully complete and submitted in a careful and orderly manner so that the trial can proceed smoothly without any technical issues or constraints,” asserted Lim who is a lawyer by profession.
He added: “This case is a major test of the country’s commitment to upholding the principles of the rule of law, justice, and accountability.
“Therefore, firm, comprehensive and immediate action is urgently needed to restore the people’s confidence in the integrity of the country’s judicial institutions.” – Nov 28, 2024
Main image credit: mStar
