Najib files contempt action against ex-AG Terrirudin
Former prime minister Najib Razak's lawyer told the Court of Appeal that the house arrest addendum was sent by the Pahang palace to then attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh (right) on Jan 29, 2024.
PETALING JAYA : Najib Razak has filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh.
In a statement today, his legal team, Messrs Shafee & Co, said the application was filed on May 21.
They claimed that Terrirudin, while serving as AG, failed to reveal the former king's royal addendum allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest.
According to the lawyers, a copy of the order was delivered to Najib through his son, Nizar, and its authenticity was confirmed in writing by the Pahang Royal Council on Jan 4.
They alleged that the document was personally addressed to Terrirudin and, thus, suggested that the former AG had knowledge of it.
Despite allegedly being aware of the order, Najib's lawyers claimed that Terrirudin had instructed his officers to dismiss Najib's claims as 'a fishing expedition, speculative and based on hearsay evidence' when the matter was raised.
'As a public officer, the former AG owed the court a paramount duty of candour,' the statement read.
'A deliberate failure to do so undermines public confidence in the administration of justice, and indeed an obstruction of justice itself,' they said.
However, they also acknowledged the sensitivity of the proceedings and called for all parties to refrain from speculation, saying the courts should be allowed to handle the matter 'in the ordinary course of justice'.
During a hearing in January, Najib's senior counsel Shafee Abdullah told the Court of Appeal that the addendum was sent by the palace to Terrirudin on Jan 29, 2024.
Terrirudin, who was appointed as a Federal Court judge last November, previously evaded queries from reporters on the matter of the royal addendum issued by the former king, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that the addendum was received by Terrirudin but said it was sent back to Istana Negara after Sultan Ibrahim became the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Najib obtained leave from the Court of Appeal to begin judicial review proceedings to enforce a royal decree, but all proceedings have since been suspended pending disposal of the current AG's appeal to the Federal Court.
The Federal Territories Pardons Board announced on Feb 2 last year that Najib's prison sentence in his SRC International case had been halved from 12 years to six, and his fine reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
The former prime minister is currently serving his jail sentence at Kajang prison.
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