Zaid thanks Thomas for exposing ‘double standard’ in Najib’s case
Zaid Ibrahim says that while the prosecution could obtain the services of the best lawyers from private firms, Najib Razak was denied the expertise of a Queen’s Counsel.
PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has thanked former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for exposing the double standard in Najib Razak’s SRC International case.
In an interview with Malaysiakini, Thomas said Najib’s SRC International case was picked as the first 1MDB-related case to prosecute as it was “easy to prove”.
However, Zaid noted that in the same interview, Thomas “said it (the case) was complicated” as there were many documents and transactions that had to be reviewed.
In the interview, Thomas described the case’s documentation as “voluminous”.
“I want to thank Tommy Thomas for confirming this,” said Zaid in a video posted on his Facebook page.
“Najib’s defence tried to convince the court of this, and that more time was needed, but no one believed us.”
Zaid’s firm, Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, was appointed to handle the former prime minister’s appeal three weeks before it was heard by the Federal Court.
The firm immediately requested a postponement of the hearing, which was rejected by the court.
When the hearing started, lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik told the court that his team was given “voluminous” appeal records and would need “sufficient time to prepare” and argue their case.
Hisyam’s request that the appeal be postponed for “three to four months” was rejected by the court.
Thomas wanted the ‘best and the brightest’ lawyers
Zaid pointed out that in the Malaysiakini interview, Thomas said that he was “determined to get the best and the brightest” lawyers to prosecute Najib.
“To me, it did not matter where the lawyer hails from,” said Thomas.
The prosecution ended up utilising lawyers from private firms like former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram and senior lawyer V Sithambaram.
However, Zaid said that when Najib tried to hire Queen’s Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw, the High Court turned this bid down by stating that foreign expertise was not needed because Malaysian lawyers were capable of handling cases involving money laundering and corruption charges under local law.
“This is the double standard and hypocrisy I want to point out, which impaired the judgment in this case,” he said.
In the video, Zaid also questioned why a “special judge” was used in the SRC case and not judges that usually presided in criminal cases.
While Zaid did not mention who he was referring to, trial judge Nazlan Ghazali, who convicted Najib in 2020, was previously in the commercial division before taking over Najib’s case in the criminal court when the trial had already started in August 2018.
The Bar Council had called for the previous judge, Sofian Abd Razak, to be recused after it became known that his younger brother was an Umno politician and Pahang state executive council member. In a letter to Najib’s solicitors, Shafee & Co. dated Aug 8, 2018, then Chief Justice of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim described the transfer as part of a normal administrative reshuffle.
On Aug 23, the Federal Court unanimously affirmed Najib’s conviction on all seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering brought in respect of SRC funds totalling RM42 million.
Najib’s 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine were also upheld.
PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has thanked former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for exposing the double standard in Najib Razak’s SRC International case.
In an interview with Malaysiakini, Thomas said Najib’s SRC International case was picked as the first 1MDB-related case to prosecute as it was “easy to prove”.
However, Zaid noted that in the same interview, Thomas “said it (the case) was complicated” as there were many documents and transactions that had to be reviewed.
In the interview, Thomas described the case’s documentation as “voluminous”.
“I want to thank Tommy Thomas for confirming this,” said Zaid in a video posted on his Facebook page.
“Najib’s defence tried to convince the court of this, and that more time was needed, but no one believed us.”
Zaid’s firm, Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners, was appointed to handle the former prime minister’s appeal three weeks before it was heard by the Federal Court.
The firm immediately requested a postponement of the hearing, which was rejected by the court.
When the hearing started, lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik told the court that his team was given “voluminous” appeal records and would need “sufficient time to prepare” and argue their case.
Hisyam’s request that the appeal be postponed for “three to four months” was rejected by the court.
Thomas wanted the ‘best and the brightest’ lawyers
Zaid pointed out that in the Malaysiakini interview, Thomas said that he was “determined to get the best and the brightest” lawyers to prosecute Najib.
“To me, it did not matter where the lawyer hails from,” said Thomas.
The prosecution ended up utilising lawyers from private firms like former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram and senior lawyer V Sithambaram.
However, Zaid said that when Najib tried to hire Queen’s Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw, the High Court turned this bid down by stating that foreign expertise was not needed because Malaysian lawyers were capable of handling cases involving money laundering and corruption charges under local law.
“This is the double standard and hypocrisy I want to point out, which impaired the judgment in this case,” he said.
In the video, Zaid also questioned why a “special judge” was used in the SRC case and not judges that usually presided in criminal cases.
While Zaid did not mention who he was referring to, trial judge Nazlan Ghazali, who convicted Najib in 2020, was previously in the commercial division before taking over Najib’s case in the criminal court when the trial had already started in August 2018.
The Bar Council had called for the previous judge, Sofian Abd Razak, to be recused after it became known that his younger brother was an Umno politician and Pahang state executive council member. In a letter to Najib’s solicitors, Shafee & Co. dated Aug 8, 2018, then Chief Justice of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim described the transfer as part of a normal administrative reshuffle.
On Aug 23, the Federal Court unanimously affirmed Najib’s conviction on all seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering brought in respect of SRC funds totalling RM42 million.
Najib’s 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine were also upheld.
No double standards.
ReplyDeleteIt is the nature of the Malaysian legal system, inherited from UK Crown Courts , that the Prosecution has to prove Beyond Reasonable Doubt, that the Accused committed the crime.
In Najib's case, the Defence was also given Ample , Ample time to prepare their defence. Nine months to prepare the appeal before the Federal Court.
Voluntary change in defence lawyer is not the Federal Court's concern. That has beenade clear in the past.