PUTRAJAYA: The lead counsel handling Datuk Seri Najib Razak's appeal hearing was today reminded to use civil words when talking about the High Court judge who convicted the former prime minister of offences related to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was told to stop using words like hopelessly incompetent, poisonous judgment and blunder of this sort when talking about findings made by Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
Nazlan was the judge who made history after he, for the first time in Malaysia, convicted a former prime minister of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.
He sentenced Najib to 12 years jail and imposed an RM210 million fine on the 69-year old former Umno president after finding him guilty of all seven charges.
The Pekan member of parliament was found guilty on July 28 last year after 76 prosecution and defence witnesses gave evidence in the trial which lasted 57 days starting April 3, 2019.
Najib has since appealed against the sentence and conviction, and his lawyer has gone on the offensive against Nazlan's findings right from the first day of the hearing before a three member bench at the Court of Appeal.
Shafee yesterday questioned Nazlan's appointment to hear Najib's case, describing the latter as an inexperienced judge when it came to criminal matters.
He also questioned Nazlan's competency in presiding over what he described as the biggest case of the century.
Lead prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram had objected to such line of submission by Shafee, and the judge too asked the senior lawyer to explain where Nazlan had gone wrong in his judgment.
However, Shafee today continued pouncing on Nazlan's findings, describing the judge with words like "hopelessly incompetent", "poisonous judgment" and "blunder".
His choice of words irked Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who is heading the bench which also includes Datuk Has Zanah Mehat and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.
Karim reminded Shafee to stop using harsh words when submitting on Nazlan's findings.
"You should find better words. You must stop using words like hopelessly incompetent, poisonous judgment and all that.
"You can find better adjectives," he said.
Shafee responded by saying he would heed the advise but continued that "I can't pull any punches if this things happened."
"I have to say it," he said, before continuing with his submissions.