Zahid confident AGC will do 'something positive' in Najib case

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has put more pressure on the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to review charges against jailed former leader Najib Razak, citing the circulation of an internal memo allegedly sent by the prosecution team in 2019 to then attorney-general Tommy Thomas.

Zahid, the Umno president who is also currently waiting for the outcome of an application for his own 47 criminal charges to be dropped, said if the memo was genuine, the AGC would take immediate action to drop the charges against the former prime minister.

"The people, especially the Umno leadership and members, are convinced that the persecution inflicted upon Najib on the orders of the government and leaders at the time should be the basis to show that justice must be prioritised by the AGC," he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani today.

"We have full confidence in the credibility and ability of the AGC to investigate and do something more positive so that Najib is accorded justice."

Zahid's call comes two weeks after Attorney-General Idrus Harun said his office would investigate the alleged leak of the memo.

The 2019 memo was reportedly from a member of the prosecution team for the case involving the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), who recommended that Thomas drop six of the corruption charges against Najib, as well as former treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

Najib and Irwan were jointly charged with six charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM6.6 billion in government funds for payments to IPIC.

The memo is believed to be dated Sept 10, 2019.

Meanwhile, Thomas, who resigned six months later in February 2020 following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government, said he had no recollection of the memo.

Najib's bid to have the charges dropped failed in 2021. Earlier this month, he sent a second representation to the AGC.