Appeals Court dismisses Najib’s suit against Tommy Thomas
Najib Razak's appeal to revive his lawsuit against former AG Tommy Thomas was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.Summary
The Court of Appeal has dismissed Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal to reinstate his RM1.9 million lawsuit against Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, former Attorney-General. The court upheld the High Court’s ruling that the suit was premature, filed before related criminal cases had begun, and found that the tort of malicious process does not exist under Malaysian law.
Najib had claimed Thomas committed misfeasance in public office by prosecuting him in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case and sought RM1.9 million in special damages for costs incurred in preparing his defense. While the court disagreed with the High Court’s finding regarding immunity – clarifying that Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution does not grant the Attorney-General immunity from personal civil suits – it still dismissed the appeal with RM12,000 costs.
Counsel for Najib, Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, stated that instructions would be sought from Najib regarding a potential further appeal. The case centers on Najib’s allegations that Thomas acted maliciously in bringing charges related to 1MDB and the International Petroleum Investment Company cases, including charges of abuse of power and money laundering.
(Source：Thesun)