Bad faith to accuse Najib’s defence team of delay tactics: Zaid Ibrahim
Lawyer says they had new evidence by MACC, Maybank on judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali
(The Vibes) – The defence team in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s final appeal on the first SRC International Bhd graft case was not seeking to delay the verdict, lawyer Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said, reiterating his disappointment with the appeal’s outcome that sent the former prime minister straight to jail.
That was the “main problem” with the case, he said during The Vibes’ “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” podcast session on Thursday.
Denying views that Najib’s lawyers were using delay tactics, Zaid said there was no evidence to support such a motive.
“You cannot assume bad faith, this is justice we are talking about. You cannot say lawyers are all like that, how do you know?
“What evidence do you have that lawyers always do that? Is it empirical evidence you have that lawyers ask for a postponement because they are acting in bad faith?
“When you are dealing with justice you have to be fair, and fairness means you have to tell us why, in this particular case, it is not permissible (to grant adjournment).”
Zaid described Nazlan’s past stint as the Maybank Group’s general counsel as “conflicted” and “untenable” as he did not recuse himself from the trial.
Zaid said this was among the reasons why the former prime minister’s legal team sought the adjournment of the final appeal.
“In my book, never in the history of this country and I think elsewhere, would a judge so involved in the material aspects of the case consider himself fit to be the judge,” Zaid said.
