No instructions from Najib to settle RM50mil fine, says lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, said he had received no instructions from his client to pay the RM50 million fine, which would allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

Farhan's presence at the Kuala Lumpur courts complex had fuelled speculation that the fine would be settled. However, he said he was there for another matter and had since been inundated with messages seeking clarification.

"I have no instructions and am unsure of the current status. I have not received any instructions regarding the fine.

"I definitely have no information. Even if a third party wants to make the payment, I would be expected to be informed," he told reporters at the lobby.

It remains unclear whether the fine will be paid today and, if so, who will make the payment and at what time.

Several media personnel are waiting in the courts complex lobby but have been barred from entering the payment counter area.

Police personnel have also been deployed to the lobby.

On Sept 18, Najib received a conditional pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.

Najib, 73, was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million after the Kuala Lumpur High Court found him guilty on July 28, 2020, of seven charges involving the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.