Sunday 06 Oct 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 2): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lead counsel on Monday said his team will write to the Swiss courts to get the English version of the judgement in the conviction of two PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) executives over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the defence team had received the judgement against PSI's Patrick Mahony and Tarek Obaid but it was in French.

"I'm trying to get the judgement. So far, [it] came in French. I've just asked for English copy, [we] should be able to get the English version very quickly," he said when speaking to reporters after the day's hearing of the 1MDB-Tanore case.

Reiterating the statement he made during submissions in the High Court earlier, Shafee said the Swiss court had made no findings implicating Najib. He went on to claim that the Swiss court had found that fugitive Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) was working in cahoots with Mahony and Obaid.

"There is an insinuation that Jho Low was Najib's representative [in 1MDB affairs] but the idea is no longer true," he added.

Last week, the Swiss federal criminal court ruled that Mahony and Obaid had deliberately deceived the 1MDB board into believing that PSI had links with the Saudi Arabian government and that PSI would contribute significant oil assets to the companies' joint venture.

They were both convicted of fraud, criminal mismanagement and money laundering. They were indicted of defrauding 1MDB of US$1.8 billion to enrich themselves, with Obaid getting at least US$805 million and Mahony at least US$37 million.

Obaid was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mahony received a sentence of six years. They were also ordered to pay back US$1.75 billion to 1MDB. Both are appealing the decision.

In the 1MDB-Tanore trial, Najib faces four counts of abuse of power for using his position as the then prime minister, finance minister, and chairman of 1MDB’s board of advisers to receive gratifications worth US$620 million (RM2.27 billion). He also faces 21 money-laundering charges.

Parties are in the midst of submissions at the end of the prosecution's case. After this, trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will set a date to deliver his verdict on whether Najib has to enter his defence or walks free.

Submissions continue on Sept 10.

Edited ByS Kanagaraju
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