Counsel tells court that Shafee has three wives, so he won’t flee.
A Court of Appeal three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah allowed lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s application for the release of his passport to travel to Sydney from June 24 until July 1.
Shafee’s lawyer Harvinderjit Singh says his client is not a flight risk as he has three wives to come home to.
“He has got three wives. His family are all here. There is no reason for him not to come back,” Harvinderjit told the Court of Appeal on Friday (June 21).
Harvinderjit added that Shafee had travelled overseas four times after the charges and had returned to Malaysia.
He said Shafee had been granted permission to fly to Tawau, Sabah, and also to Australia on two previous occasions to meet the same client.
“We are of the view that there was a real need for the applicant to be with the solicitors and client there,” said Justice Ahmadi, who chaired the bench.
“We are mindful that the accused person in the Australia case is entitled to have a solicitor of his own choice,” the judge said.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz countered saying that Shafee had no reason to be in Australia as the client has a local counsel.
Harvinderjit told the court that Shafee would return his passport to the court by July 3 and would also report his return from Australia.
Shafee is facing two charges of money-laundering involving RM9.5 million that he allegedly received from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He was also charged under the Income Tax Act with two counts of making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board by not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing for the year.
On May 14, this year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Shafee’s application for the release of his passport, which was impounded by the court, to attend to a client, a Malaysian, who is facing drug trafficking charges in a court in Australia.
High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah held that Shafee’s presence in Australia, requested in a letter dated May 13, 2019, was merely to assist the case as there were Australian solicitors on record.