KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Lawyers for Liberty questioned today the Federal Court’s overt speed to clarify the selection of the High Court judge in the criminal and corruption prosecution of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The group’s adviser N. Surendran noted the statement from the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court was released soon after news reports on Justice Datuk Mohd Sofian Abd Razak being the younger brother to a Pahang Umno assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Soffi Abdul Razak.
“It is entirely inappropriate for the CJ (Chief Justice) or his Registrar to issue such a statement. (The Registrar who issued the statement is an official who works under the instructions of the CJ.)
“Why is the Federal Court or the CJ rushing to publicly defend the selection of Judge Sofian to preside over the case?” Surendran said in a statement.
He pointed out that the matter should have been left in the hands of either the public prosecutor of Najib’s defence team to raise complaints or apply for the judge’s recusal.
However, the lawyer also said the judge in question could do the “proper thing” by disclosing his relationship in court and stepping down without waiting for a recusal application.
The court registrar had yesterday issued a statement clarifying that the judge was selected at random by the courts’ online system, which was implemented for all criminal cases filed in Kuala Lumpur since June last year.
In the wake of the purported political connection, the Malaysian Bar has called on the judge to recuse himself from hearing the case further.
Najib claimed trial Wednesday to criminal breach of trust and corruption charges over SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
The High Court has set case management for August 8.
