Reading a statement from the dock, he said he believed there has never been a single occasion in legal history where the counsel in an appeal trial has been prevented from discharging himself.
This is also the first time that an adjournment of four months has been requested, unlike other cases where the court allowed “70 adjournments”, he said.
“It is said that the accused is the most important person, (but) somehow I felt mistreated and I have not been accorded a fair trial.
“Coming from my part, I really feel it is the worst feeling to have.
“The might of the judiciary is pinned against me in a most unfair manner.”
Most of his statement was based on what he issued to the media last week, where he explained his decision to change his lawyers for the SRC appeal.
Earlier today, lawyer Shafee Abdullah requested that the Federal Court give him a short adjournment of “less than 24 hours” to enable him to prepare his arguments in Najib’s bid to recuse Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat from hearing the appeal.
Shafee, who made a dramatic return to Najib’s legal team this morning, said he did not have any court documents with him and that he came to court from another event in Petaling Jaya.
However, Tengku Maimun rejected the request, saying “we find no reason to adjourn”.
Last week, the Federal Court rejected the defence’s request to adjourn the appeal hearing by “three to four months” to give them more time to prepare.
Najib’s lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik informed the five-member Federal Court bench led by Tengku Maimun that he would not be presenting any oral submissions on behalf of his client.
On Thursday, the Federal Court disallowed Hisyam from discharging himself as Najib’s counsel after Tengku Maimun said the court was of the unanimous view that Hisyam “failed to disclose adequate reasons” to justify his recusal bid.
The other judges sitting with her are Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and judges Nallini Pathmanathan, Mary Lim and Zabidin Mohamad Diah.
Najib’s defence previously sought to adduce new evidence pertaining to judge Nazlan Ghazali’s alleged conflict of interest owing to his previous position as Maybank Group legal counsel and company secretary.
Nazlan presided over the SRC trial in the High Court. The bid was rejected.
In July 2020, Najib was convicted on seven charges of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust over SRC funds amounting to RM42 million. His conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021.
The appellate court also upheld his 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine.
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