Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he was disappointed in the Court of Appeal’s decision in upholding his guilty verdict in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
The former prime minister expressed his frustrations through a virtual conference which was conducted via Zoom, shortly after a three-man bench dismissed his appeal to set aside his conviction, 12-year jail sentence, and RM210 million fine on seven corruption charges.
“I am very disappointed in the decision made by the court this morning.
“The central issue in respect of the SRC case is that RM42 million was transferred into my personal account.
“As a Muslim, in the name of Allah, I do not know and had never instructed anyone to transfer the money to my personal bank account,” he said in the Zoom conference organised by his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Najib said he had instructed his defence team to immediately file an appeal at the Federal Court.
Meanwhile, Shafee said he was shocked with the decision and the grounds provided by the court.
He also raised an issue which he said was of grave concern to him regarding the court’s remark on the defence of national interest.
He said the court had said that it was instead a national embarrassment.
He said the effect of the remark is similar to defamation and it was unnecessary as it could cause serious perception towards his client.
“I find it disappointing that that kind of remark was made by the court, that this is not national interest but only a national embarrassment.
“You can say the defence on national interest did not succeed and that would be the end of the matter but to go further to say national embarrassment, I think it’s unnecessary,” he said.