Dr M denies influencing Federal court decision to convict Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Three courts have found Datuk Seri Najib Razak guilty in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) while denying any influence on the case.

He was responding to critics who claimed possible influence in the judgement meted out as Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat was appointed by Dr Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan government.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference after launching Parti Berjasa’s Impian Nasional 2040 initiative, Dr Mahathir said he had no influence over the selection and had merely approved it.

He also said that he did not have any influence over what the courts decided.

"There were three courts, the High Court, the Appeal Court, and the Federal Court. There were nine judges who all had the same opinion," he said.

He said Najib’s case had stretched over four years when former deputy prime minister and current Opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s case only took the courts nine months.

Najib was sent to Kajang prison after the Federal Court upheld the High Court's 12 years’ jail sentence and RM210mil fine for misappropriating RM42mil of SRC International funds.

On Tuesday (Aug 23) a five-member bench led by Justice Tengku Maimun dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28, 2020.