KUALA LUMPUR: The application by senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to challenge the appointment of former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram to lead the prosecution team in his case will only be heard after the court has decided on a similar application by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah made the decision after allowing an application by counsel Muhammad Farhan Shafee, who acted for Shafee, during mention of the case today.
“We are asking for the court to fix a date to hear this application after the decision of an application by Najib involving a similar legal issue before the same judge,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar did not object to Farhan’s application, The court fixed March 21 for hearing of Shafee’s application.
The court has also given two weeks until March 12 for the prosecution and defence to submit their respective documents before filing their submissions on March 14.
Previously at the Sessions Court, Shafee said he would file an application to disqualify Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team on grounds that the latter had represented Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Court of Appeal in a civil case.
Shafee alleged that Sri Ram was not independent, had an agenda and his relations with the former federal court judge was not good.
On Sept 13 last year Shafee claimed trial at the Sessions Court to two counts of money laundering relating to RM9.5 million he allegedly received from Najib and two counts under the Income Tax Act.
On the first and second counts, Shafee was alleged to have involved himself in money laundering activities by receiving proceeds of unlawful activities via two cheques belonging to Najib totalling RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million respectively, on Sept 13, 2013, and Feb 17, 2014.
On the third and fourth counts, Shafee was alleged to have committed acts contrary to Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 by omitting the income he received on Sept 13, 2013, amounting to RM4.3 million, and on Feb 17, 2014, amounting to RM5.2 million.