Najib given until May 20 to apply for Queen’s Counsel

The Federal Court has directed Najib Razak to file his application to appoint a Queen’s Counsel from the UK for his appeal against his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case by May 20.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said the deadline was fixed by Federal Court deputy registrar Siti Hajar Mustaffa during online proceedings today.

“The hearing for admission of the Queen’s Counsel is tentatively fixed on a date between June 20 and 24. However, the actual date of hearing will be confirmed during the next case management,” he said.

The appointment of the Queen’s Counsel will be on an ad hoc basis after admission is obtained from the Malaysian court.

Ashrof said the court also fixed March 15 and 16 to hear Najib’s appeal to adduce new evidence while for the main appeal against his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case, the next case management will be held on Feb 25 at 3pm.

On Jan 25, law firm Messrs Shafee & Co submitted a six-page letter to the secretariat of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Najib’s intention to appoint a Queen’s Counsel from the UK to assist the former prime minister in complex issues and legal questions in his SRC International appeal at the Federal Court.

On Dec 7 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s application to adduce new evidence in his appeal, ruling that Najib had failed to cumulatively satisfy Section 61 of the Courts of Judicature Act that fresh evidence was required for justice in the case.

The next day, the same court upheld his conviction, 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.

Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member bench comprising justices Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, dismissed Najib’s appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision on July 28, 2020.

After the ruling, Najib filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court.