KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed a petition of appeal to the Federal Court relating to his conviction and sentence in the RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

       He cited 94 grounds on why the Court of Appeal had erred in its decision to uphold the High Court’s conviction and sentence.

       The petition sighted by The Star was filed through Messrs Shafee & Co yesterday.

       A three-man panel unanimously allowed Najib’s application for an extension of time to file his appeal petition yesterday.

       The panel was chaired by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim.

       Others on the panel were Federal Court judges Justices Nallini Pathmanathan and Mary Lim Thiam Suan.

       In the document, Najib said the Court of Appeal had erred in affirming the High Court’s findings that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against him on all seven charges and called on him to enter his defence; had erred in convicting him at the end of the defence case; and had erred in affirming the High Court’s decision on the sentences passed for all seven charges.

       Among the 94 grounds, Najib said the Court of Appeal erred in rejecting the defence’s contention that he does not have any personal interest in SRC, and that his interest in SRC is purely official or professional arising from his position as advisor emeritus, finance minister and prime minister.

       “The Court of Appeal erred in fact and in law in rejecting the appellant’s contention that the RM42mil that flowed into the appellant’s accounts is not SRC’s monies.

       “The Court of Appeal and the High Court had erred in fact and in law in rejecting the appellant’s defence that he was of the belief that the funds in his account were donations from the Saudi royal family.

       “The Court of Appeal further erred in holding that the Arab donation defence was not borne out by any hard evidence before the court,” the petition stated.

       “Based on the above reasons, the appellant appeals to this honourable court to reverse the decision and sentence given by the Court of Appeal and the High Court, discharge and acquit the appellant of all charges or make any other orders consonant with justice,” it said.On July 28, 2020, Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali (now a Court of Appeal judge) convicted and sentenced Najib of seven charges involving criminal breach of trust (CBT), money laundering and abuse of position, involving SRC funds totalling RM42mil.

       He was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and a fine of RM210mil.

       On Dec 8 last year, a three-man panel chaired by Court of Appeal judge Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil who presided with Justices Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, unanimously dismissed Najib’s appeal against the July 28 High Court decision.