PUTRAJAYA - The Prisons Department has never received any directive from the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya Pardons Board to allow Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said that on Feb 2 last year, the Prisons Department only received meeting minutes and an order to implement the decision made by the board during its meeting on Jan 29, 2024.
He added that the directive, signed by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and witnessed by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, merely instructed the Prisons Department to reduce Najib's prison sentence to Aug 23, 2028 and cut his fine to RM50 million.
The order also stated that if the fine is not paid, the former prime minister's prison sentence will be extended by another year, making his release date Aug 23, 2029, he said.
"The letter received by the Prisons Department does not mention house arrest. As a department tasked with implementing the directive, the Prisons Department must act with integrity in executing this order.
"It is important to clarify that the Home Ministry (KDN) and the Prisons Department have not concealed any decision made by the Pardons Board or failed to comply with it. We only act based on authentic and official directives, as received," he said during a special press conference here today.
Saifuddin also confirmed that the minutes of the Pardons Board meeting received by his ministry contained no directive or information regarding house arrest.
"With this clarification, I hope to make it clear that the Home Ministry has fully carried out Tuanku's (Al-Sultan Abdullah's) directive as ordered through the official directive of the Pardons Board.
"Any claims to the contrary are untrue," he said.
Today, the Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 majority decision, remitted the case concerning Najib's claim about the existence of a Royal Addendum - allegedly allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest - to the High Court for a hearing on its merits.
Najib, 71, was appealing the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 3 last year, which rejected his application for leave to initiate a judicial review of the Royal Addendum, purportedly issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. - BERNAMA