Najib seeking SRC retrial over judge's alleged conflict of interest

PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants a retrial of the RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case following a new 'development' involving the High Court judge who presided over the case.

Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, has claimed the judge, Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, was involved in a loan application by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) with Maybank when he was the bank's general counsel.

"Justice Mohd Nazlan was involved in the loan application process. He should have disclosed all this and should not have heard the case (SRC)," Muhammad Shafee told reporters at the Federal Court here on Tuesday.

Najib and his defence team was at the Federal Court for a hearing on his appeal to adduce new evidence in his SRC case, which is now at the appeal stage at the apex court. SRC is a subsidiary of 1MDB.

On July 28, 2020, Justice Mohd Nazlan - who is now a Court of Appeal judge - sentenced Najib to a total of 12 years' jail and a fine of RM210mil after finding him guilty of all seven charges relating to the misappropriation of RM42mil from the company's funds.

On Monday, a news portal quoted Muhammad Shafee who said that the judge had allegedly played a role in a loan for 1MDB to acquire independent power producer Tanjong Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd.

In the ongoing RM2.28bil 1MDB trial before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, the prosecution contended that the case's convoluted monetary trail involved the acquisition of Tanjong Energy.