DATUK Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) must review the charges thrown at former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak following a purported leaked memo suggesting the government to drop his 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case.
Zahid, who is also the UMNO president, said if the contents of the leaked document were found to be genuine, he was confident that the AGC would exonerate the former party leader.
“The people and in particular the leadership and members of UMNO are confident that the persecution against Najib by the administration at the time must be made a basis for the ‘fountain of justice’ to prevail,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at a press conference during the Jualan Desa Madani programme at Menara MARA today (Aug 28).
“We have full confidence in the AGC’s credibility and capability to review and take more positive measures so Najib will truly be given justice.”
The alleged leaked 12-page internal memo from the AGC was reportedly addressed to former Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas dated Sept 10, 2019.
In it, the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) prosecution team reportedly expressed its concerns that a strong prima facie case could not be built for the six charges against Najib and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Irwan Serigar Abdullah at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur on October 25, 2018.
The two were jointly charged with six charges under Section 409 of the Penal Code for Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) amounting to RM6.6 bil in government funds involving payments to IPIC.
The memo was purportedly sent by the lead prosecutor in the case, Datuk Jamil Aripin, to Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, who was the attorney-general at the time.
On Aug 17, Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun told The Star that the AGC was investigating the matter but stopped short of confirming the authenticity of the memo.
Najib, who is also former Pekan MP, was sentenced to 12 years’ jail in 2020 and fined RM210 mil after he was found guilty of all seven charges related to the misappropriation of RM42 mil of SRC International funds.
He was sentenced to the jail term and fine for the offence related to abuse of power under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.
For the three criminal breach of trust offences under Section 409 of the Penal Code, he ordered Najib to serve 10 years for each count.
Najib was also ordered to serve 10 years jail for each of the three counts of money laundering under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA).
However, he ordered that all the sentences run concurrently. This means Najib will only serve a total of 12 years’ jail. – Aug 28, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
