“The judge made so many blunders” – Najib to File Appeal Against Guilty Verdict in 1MDB Case

He said the appeal will be filed this coming Monday.

The defense team, he added, is looking forward to the opportunity to argue what they consider to be errors made in the case.

“Although I am very saddened for my client in many aspects, I am also somewhat pleased. The more mistakes made by a judge, the better our chances,” he told a press conference.

Errors in the trial

Shafee said one of the issues to be raised in the appeal is the acceptance of hearsay evidence throughout the trial.

“We think that he (the trial judge) has made so many blunders in his judgment. I call it ‘blunders’ because I think that’s what it is. You cannot have that many mistakes in a judgment of this importance,” he added.

The senior lawyer also noted that this case marked the first time in his decades-long career as a defense attorney that he faced a situation where he lost on every argument presented.

“Not once did we win on any submission. The analogy is like playing football where the prosecution scored 100 goals and we scored zero. Even on the smallest point, we lost, and the judge sided with the prosecution,” he said during the press conference after the proceedings at the Palace of Justice yesterday (26 December).

He added that his team had anticipated the verdict convicting his client on all charges.

“Although we are very disappointed with the decision, it is not surprising and was expected. In terms of the sentence imposed, I feel the amount of the fine against Najib is unreasonable,” he said.