I won’t get equal protection if charge begins in sessions court, says Shahrir

[superadmin]

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Felda chairman Shahrir Abdul Samad, who is charged with failing to declare to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) a sum of RM1 million received from Najib Razak, said he will be discriminated against if his trial begins in the sessions court.

The former Johor Bahru MP said Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor and lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah were charged in the lower court, but the prosecution had applied to have their trials moved to the High Court.

He was referring to Najib’s trial on seven counts of corruption involving RM42 million and 25 charges for abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion.

Rosmah is facing 12 counts of money laundering, involving about RM7 million and five counts for failing to declare her income to the IRB. Shafee has claimed trial to two counts of making false declarations to the IRB for not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing for the 2013 and 2014.

Shahrir, in an affidavit filed to support an application to transfer his matter to the High Court, said his case was similar to Shafee’s. He made the application in August.


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