Najib fails to obtain leave to cite ex-AG Terrirudin for contempt

FMT:

Najib fails to obtain leave to cite ex-AG Terrirudin for contempt


6 hours ago
Faisal Asyraf


The High Court said Najib Razak had failed to establish a prima facie case of contempt against ex-attorney general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh

Najib Razak (left) failed in his bid to cite Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for contempt over his alleged suppression of a royal decree allowing the former prime minister to be held under house arrest.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Najib Razak has failed in his bid to secure leave to cite former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for contempt of court after the High Court dismissed his application.

Justice Loke Yee Ching ruled that Najib had failed to establish a prima facie case of contempt against the respondent.

“The leave is therefore dismissed with costs of RM20,000 to be paid by the applicant,” he said.


Najib had applied for leave to cite Terrirudin for contempt over his alleged role in suppressing a royal addendum allowing the former prime minister to serve the remainder of his reduced jail term under house arrest.

He had claimed through his senior counsel Shafee Abdullah that Terrirudin had personal knowledge of the royal order, having been served with it during his tenure as attorney-general from September 2023 to November 2024.

Shafee told the court he would appeal the decision in a higher court.

The judge noted that Najib appeared to rely on subsequent events to establish a prima facie case, particularly the addendum order introduced at the Court of Appeal during his leave application.

“Upon being allowed to introduce the addendum order, the applicant now confirms that it exists and claims that the respondent was aware of it all along and must therefore be held accountable for misrepresenting otherwise.

“However, at the time of filing the leave application, even the applicant was uncertain of its existence,” said Loke.


Loke also said there was no solid evidence showing that the respondent had personally acted as alleged, describing the allegations as “mere speculation”.


Loke stressed that it could not be assumed Terrirudin had given specific instructions to present false arguments based solely on the position taken by the Attorney-General’s Chambers in opposing the leave application.

She also highlighted the applicant’s delay of a year in filing the contempt proceedings.

“The courts have consistently held that contempt, being a serious matter, should be pursued within a reasonable timeframe.


“I find the delay fatal to the applicant’s case,” she said.

Najib was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd and has been serving his sentence at Kajang prison since Aug 23, 2022.

He filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board later halved his prison term from 12 years to six and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.