MalayMail-Aug 24
Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday became the first former prime minister in Malaysia to be imprisoned, after he failed in his final appeal against his guilty verdict over the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to government-owned SRC International Sdn Bhd. While the Federal Court yesterday decided to keep the 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine (which will result in an additional five-year jail term if Najib cannot afford to pay this), can Najib seek to be forgiven and released from prison instead of serving the full term? What about his four other criminal trials? Here’s what several criminal lawyers told Malay Mail when contacted. Senior criminal lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent said that Najib cannot apply for a stay of his sentence, regardless of whether he seeks a review of the Federal Court’s decision or whether he pursues a royal pardon. This means that Najib must remain in prison while waiting for the outcome of either a review application or a pardon bid. “Yes, he can file for review. Whether he will be successful is another thing as the threshold for review is very high. In the interim, he must serve sentence. There is no stay. “And yes, he can seek a pardon but that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time,” he told Malay Mail. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/08/24/life-in-prison-for-najib-what-it-means-and-can-he-seek-release-lawyers-explain/24398
