KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has assured that he will not interfere in judicial matters, following the court’s decision to grant former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) in a money laundering case involving RM27 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.
“That is a matter for the judge and the Attorney General. I will not interfere,” Anwar told reporters briefly after attending Friday prayers at the Kampung Seri Aman Mosque in Puchong.
Earlier, Judge K. Muniandy allowed Najib’s application for a DNAA from three charges related to the alleged laundering of RM27 million. The 72-year-old was granted the discharge without being acquitted.
A DNAA means the accused is released from the charges, but the prosecution may reinstate the charges at any time.
Najib was first charged on February 3, 2019, with three counts of receiving RM27 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through his AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, located at the Ambank Group Building on Jalan Raja Chulan. The alleged offences took place on July 8, 2014.
The charges were filed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. If convicted, the offence carries a maximum fine of RM5 million, a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.
In his ruling, Judge Muniandy noted that the case had been pending since 2019 without any witness testimony, with only several postponements taking place — a sign that the prosecution was not prepared to proceed with the trial.
Najib, who received a royal pardon in January last year, is currently serving a reduced prison sentence of six years at Kajang Prison for his conviction involving the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds. – June 20, 2025