KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed a leave to initiate judicial review to challenge the appointment of Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as the lead prosecutor for his corruption and money laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion allegedly from sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the High Court today that the defence had filed the additional application to support their initial application to disqualify Gopal’s appointment.
On Aug 31, Attorney General Tommy Thomas announced the appointment of Sri Ram, a retired former federal court judge as senior deputy public prosecutor to lead the prosecution against Najib’s 1MBD and its related cases.
Shafee said the defence team had sought several orders in the leave application to quash several decisions relating to the appointment of Sri Ram.
“Several orders that we sought are appropriate to be filed through judicial review,” he said, adding that the application on leave would be heard tomorrow (Thursday) at the High Court (Appeal and Special Power Division).
The leave for judicial review is a complimentary application to their notice of motion to disqualify Sri Ram at the High Court (Criminal).
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah fixed Jan 31 for case management and Feb 8 to hear the application (notice of motion).
Former Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was also seen sitting in the public gallery during the 15-minute proceeding.
Najib and Zahid left the courtroom together, followed by Rosmah and their entourage.
On Sept 20, the Pekan member of parliament was slapped with a total 25 corruption charges involving RM2.3 billion allegedly from 1MDB.
His first four charges were framed under Section 23 (1) and 24 (1) of the MACC Act 2009 while the other 21 charges were under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 (AMLATFA).
In the charges under the MACC Act, Najib, 64, was accused of using his position as prime minister, finance minister and chairman of the 1MDB advisory board, to receive bribes on four occasions.
Meanwhile the money-laundering charges include nine counts of receiving illegal proceeds, five counts of using illegal proceeds and seven counts of transferring the proceeds to other entities.
All the offences allegedly occurred at AmIslamic Bank Bhd’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, here, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.