KUALA LUMPUR: "Not today" – that was Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's response when asked about the RM50mil fine former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak needs to pay to qualify for house arrest.
Speaking to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on Wednesday (Nov 4), Najib's lead defence counsel said he had not heard anything about the matter.
"Not today, I haven't heard anything about it. Not yet," he said.
Earlier reports indicated that Najib was expected to pay the RM50mil fine through representatives, although his defence team had yet to receive instructions on the matter.
One of his lawyers, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, said he was unsure of the payment's status and had not received any instructions regarding the fine.
Najib was sentenced by the High Court in July 2020 to 12 years' jail and fined RM210mil after being convicted on seven charges involving RM42mil in SRC International funds.
The conviction and sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2021 and the Federal Court in August 2022.
At its 61st meeting on Jan 29, 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced Najib's prison term from 12 years to six and his fine from RM210mil to RM50mil.
On Sept 18, it was reported that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The order, however, was conditional upon Najib paying the RM50mil fine.
Shortly after that, Umno launched the "Najib Razak Solidarity Fund" to raise the RM50mil, as Najib's personal and family assets remained frozen.
On Sept 25, Shafee told reporters that Najib did not have the RM50mil needed to secure his house arrest.
