Kuala Lumpur: The Court of Appeal has scheduled July 2 for the hearing of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal to reinstate his RM1.9 million lawsuit against former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas. This decision comes after a case management session held on January 10 before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Khainur Aleeza Ismail.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the hearing date was confirmed by one of Thomas’ lawyers, Haikaldin Mahyidin. The appeal was initially set for November 19 of the previous year, but it was postponed due to the recusal of one of the judges, Datuk Faizah Jamaludin, at the request of Najib’s counsel, Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin.

Najib is challenging the High Court’s ruling from November 25, 2022, which struck out his lawsuit against Thomas. In the lawsuit, Najib asserts that Thomas committed misfeasance in public office by prosecuting him on charges concerning the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

The charges against Najib involve allegations related to the 1MDB, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), abuse of power under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, and money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001). Thomas served as the Attorney-General from June 4, 2018, to February 28, 2020.

Najib is pursuing a declaration that Thomas committed misfeasance in public office and is seeking RM1.9 million in damages. This includes negotiation fees for the audit team responsible for reviewing documentation to prepare facts for his prosecution.