PUTRAJAYA: 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 over today's decision.
Meanwhile, Shafee said he was shocked with the decision and the grounds provided by the court.
He said although he respectfully accepts the court's decision, he was disappointed that the court had held that there was personal interest on part of his client in the approval of the government guarantee in relation to the RM4 billion Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) loan to SRC International.
"The court held that Najib had personal interest when he presided over the two cabinet meetings that approved the government guarantee in relation to the RM4 billion KWAP loan to SRC. I would have thought it was obvious that that interest was official," he said.
Shafee had also at the conference 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.
Shafee also said the court had made a finding that Najib had micromanaged SRC International, but there was no such evidence on the matter in the case.
He said Najib as the prime minister and finance minister at that time, had 85 companies under his wing, so he would not have the time to micromanage that particular company.
Earlier today, the Court of Appeal upheld Najib's conviction on three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), one count of abuse of power and three money-laundering counts involving RM42 million funds from SRC International.
The bench led by judge Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil unamimously ruled that the High Court did not make any error in convicting Najib and sentencing him to 12 years' jail and RM210 million fine.
Judges Datuk Has Zanah Mehat and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera also presided.