The Court of Appeal today upheld the conviction and sentence of former premiere Najib Razak for misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

A three-men bench, chaired by Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, said that the appellate court had found no errors in the decision by the trial judge, Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali of the Kuala Lumpur High Court in July last year, who had sentenced the Pekan MP to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million fine on seven counts of corruption.

"We dismiss the appeal on all seven charges and affirm the conviction," Abdul Karim ruled, further dismissing Najib's appeal against his sentencing.

The other two judges on the bench were Justices Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.

Najib, 68, is the country's first former prime minister in the country to be charged in court and sentenced to jail.

Today's unanimous verdict was delivered through a hybrid proceeding, where the panel of judges and prosecution were present in open court, while najib and his defence team participated online via Zoom from their respective homes.

With the affirmation, the appellate court also maintained the bail conditions imposed on Najib, which is to pay RM2 million bail money, surrender his passport to the court, and reporting to the nearest police station twice a month. Najib had settled the bail amount after his conviction at the High Court.

The court also today agreed to grant Najib a stay of execution, pending his appeal at the Federal Court, which is his last venue to stay out of prison.


Source: FMT, The Star
Photo source: Astro Awani