Deputy public prosecutor Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said Najib’s lawyers today confirmed that the application for the QC would be filed at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur by the end of next month.

“If the application is unsuccessful, they will file an appeal to the Federal Court,” said Ashrof, who appeared with ad hoc prosecutor V Sithmbaram during a case management before deputy registrars Siti Hajar Mustaffa and Wan Fatimah Zaharah Yussof.

Lawyer Shafee Abdullah represented Najib in an online proceeding this afternoon.

Ashrof said Najib’s main appeal will be fixed after the conclusion of the application to engage the QC.

He also said appeal records from the Court of Appeal had been served on both parties on March 31.

“Najib’s counsel are also seeking an extension of time to file their petition of appeal by another two weeks,” he said, adding that they had been instructed to file a formal application by April 11.

On Dec 8, Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member bench, affirmed Najib’s conviction and 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine for abuse of power, money laundering, and misappropriating RM42 million in SRC funds.

Karim said trial judge Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, did not misdirect himself for appellate intervention.