PUTRAJAYA: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today withdrew his appeal against the High Court’s decision to reject his application to strike out seven charges he is facing over RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds.
His counsel Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee informed the Court of Appeal that the defence did not wish to pursue the appeal as the trial at the High Court had gone to an advanced stage.
“The appeal to strike out the charges is no longer suitable. We will put this argument at the end of the trial,“ he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Izzat Fauzan did not object to the withdrawal.
Justice Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli who sat with Datuk Kamardin Hashim and Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof subsequently struck out the appeal.
Najib, who turns 66 today, is facing seven charges relating to criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International’s funds.
So far 54 witnesses have testified at the ongoing trial.
The Pekan member of Parliament filed the appeal after the High Court on April 29, this year dismissed his application to strike out the seven charges on grounds they were defective and constituted an abuse of court process.
Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali ruled that there was no ambiguity in the charges against Najib and that the prosecution was entitled to frame the charges as they were.
Najib was not present in court today.
Muhammad Farhan told reporters that the defence filed the notice of discontinuance of the appeal yesterday. — Bernama
