KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed a notice to appeal against the conviction and sentence meted out by the High Court last week for his most serious corruption case to-date.
The notice of appeal was filed on Monday, Dec 29, his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told The Edge. “The notice had been filed last night,” the senior lawyer said.
In criminal cases, notice of appeals have to be filed within 14 days of the verdict. A case management will be held for the appeal to be sent to the higher Court of Appeal.
Last Friday, presiding trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah found the former prime minister guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges of RM2.27 billion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
The verdict, read out over nearly 12 hours, culminated in Najib being sentenced to 15-year imprisonment and fine of RM11.38 billion, of which failure to pay will result in another 10 years in jail.
Najib was also ordered to pay a recoverable sum of RM2.081 billion or risk a further two years and six months in prison.
He had also filed a notice to appeal against an earlier court decision that dismissed his bid to serve the rest of his sentence for another graft case under house arrest.