Najib seeks gag order on media and the public
PUTRAJAYA – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants the court to issue instructions to inform the public and the media about what can be discussed and published and what can not be dealt with in criminal cases involving SRC International Sdn Bhd’s fund, “The Court of Appeal is notified.
The lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Najib, said any statement made by the public or the media touched on the merit of his client’s case (Najib), could cause a “subjudice” to Najib. He said the court had to protect the integrity of the judicial process in the country and did not allow the public to discuss or make their own decisions in the case.
“The court should issue the order because the Attorney-General has stated that no one can force him to do so (issue an alert),” said Muhammad Shafee when arguing in front of the panel of three judges of the Court of Appeal.
Another lawyer representing Najib, Harvinderjit Singh, refers to a previous case when a court in Britain issued guidelines for the media in the form of note notes. He said none of the publications should draw conclusions or assumptions about the perversity of a person involved in the case.
He said the High Court judge had dismissed Najib’s application for a moratorium order but in his judgment touched upon the directive that Najib had demanded. He said the court should allow Najib’s appeal on the amended terms regarding the instructions contained in the judgment of the High Court judge.
Attorney-General Tommy Thomas argued that Najib’s appeal would have failed because the High Court did not make any mistakes in the facts and the law. He said one should read the High Court’s judgment as a whole and not quote and select certain paragraphs. On July 4 last year, the 66-year-old Pekan Member of Parliament was charged with three counts of breach of trust and one allegation of abusing his position on SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.
On August 8 last year, Najib was charged on three counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The panel chaired by Justice Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Lau Bee Lan earlier today heard Najib’s appeal against the High Court’s decision rejecting Najib’s application to apply for appointment letter Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah to lead the prosecution and appeal for some documents and statements.
The court proceeding continues tomorrow to hear the prosecution’s argument over Najib’s appeal to get some documents. Najib’s appeal against the High Court ruling on Feb 7 this year to nullify the High Court’s decision allowing the prosecution to withdraw the certificate to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court, will be heard tomorrow.
