Headlines
  • False or misleading informations are spread by organizations posing as legitimate media outlets in an attempt to twist public opinion in favor of a certain ideology.
  • On social media,watch out for fake messages,pictures,Videos and news.
  • Always Check Independent Fact Checking Sites if You Have Some Doubts About the Authenticity of Any Information or Picture or video.
  • Check Google Images for AuthThe Google Reverse Images search can helps you.
  • It Would Be Better to Ignore Social Media Messages that are forwarded from Unknown or Little-Known Sources.
  • If a fake message asks you to share something, you can quickly recognize it as fake messege.
  • It is a heinous crime and punishable offence to post obscene, morphed images of women on social media networks, sometimes even in pornographic websites, as retaliation.
  • Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI)-driven deep learning software to manipulate preexisting photographs, videos, or audio recordings of a person to create new, fake images, videos, and audio recordings.
  • AI technology has the ability to manipulate media and swap out a genuine person's voice and likeness for similar counter parts.
  • Deepfake creators use this fake substance to spread misinformation and other illegal activities.Deepfakes are frequently used on social networking sites to elicit heated responses or defame opponents.
  • One can identify AI created fake videos by identifying abnormal eye movement, Unnatural facial expressions, a lack of feeling, awkward-looking hand,body or posture,unnatural physical movement or form, unnatural coloring, Unreal-looking hair,teeth that don't appear natural, Blurring, inconsistent audio or noise, images that appear unnatural when slowed down, differences between hashtags blockchain-based digital fingerprints, reverse image searches.
  • Look for details,like stange background,orientation of teeth,handsclothing,asymmetrical facial features,use reverse image search tools.

More Details

Najib Discharges Most of his Defense Team During Final Alppeal Hearings

Muzliza Mustafa/Putrajaya,Malaysia

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak waves to reporters as he walks into a federal courtroom for a hearing in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Aug. 19, 2022 Photo Courtesy S. Mahfuz/BenarNews via BenarNews

Malaysia’s highest court on Friday rebuffed another attempt by former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s chief attorney to delay the final appeal over the ex-leader’s conviction linked to the 1MDB corruption scandal, after Najib let go most of the lawyers on his new defense team.

As the prosecution was presenting its arguments, lead defense attorney Hisyam Teh Poh Teik – the only member of the defense team left after Najib discharged his other lawyers – requested that the Federal Court judges allow him to submit a new application on Aug. 25 seeking to postpone the appeal.

Hisyam argued that he needed more time to prepare for his client’s defense. The five-judge panel swiftly rejected his request.

“[I have said] many times no adjournment on this appeal. We will proceed as scheduled,” said Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

Hisyam then said he had no submission to make in the appeal, to which Tengku Maimun asked: “Not even [next] Tuesday?”

“Yes, not even Tuesday,” Hisyam replied.

The top judge said the court would give the defense the weekend and Monday to prepare its submission, but Hisyam responded that this would not change anything.

“It’s your liberty to do so. But you are counsel on record. We will see on Tuesday,” the judge replied.

Outside the courtroom, Hisyam told reporters that the prosecution had rested its case.

“We were asked to come back on Tuesday. I told the court, as far as I am concerned, I am not making any submission. I told the lordships,” Hisyam said.

As he wound down the prosecution’s presentation of its case on Friday, lead attorney V. Sithambaram said the court could dismiss the appeal altogether.

“The court in this instance can dismiss the appeal when there is no reply to the submission to decide the case accordingly,” he argued, citing past precedents.

Hisyam did not raise a single objection during the prosecution’s oral submission.

The hearings are scheduled to resume on Tuesday but it’s not clear what may happen.

Among the potential scenarios, the judges might hand down an immediate verdict or set a date for a decision that will determine whether Najib becomes the first sitting or former prime minister in Malaysian history to go to prison. 

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak waves to reporters as he walks into a federal courtroom for a hearing in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Aug. 19, 2022. Photo Courtesy:S. Mahfuz/BenarNews

Inside the courtroom, the second row of the defense bench, usually occupied by the other lawyers, was empty throughout the hearing on Friday, leaving Hisyam as Najib’s lone standing counsel.

Najib is seeking to have his 12-year sentence and 2020 conviction on charges of massive abuse of power and other crimes overturned.  

Before prosecutors resumed their oral arguments on Friday morning, Hisyam  informed the court about Najib’s decision to discharge other members of the legal team from Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners (ZIST).

It was not immediately clear why he took the decision to discharge most of his legal team and how this could help his defense.

Zaid Ibrahim, a former law minister, led the team hired at the end of July after Najib dismissed his long-time legal defense team.

In a statement on Friday, Zaid said Najib’s decision “was prompted by his belief that his lawyers cannot serve any useful purpose as lawyers for him anymore.

“Najib believes that the prevailing assumption of the judges is that the reorganization of his legal team toward the end of last month was part of a tactical ploy and a ruse to stifle and stall proceedings so as to avoid or delay the final judgment and sentence to be passed on him or for political reasons,” Zaid’s  statement said. “As a politician myself, I can confirm that this unfortunate assumption is furthest from the truth.”

He also claimed the fresh evidence the defense tried to admit earlier this week “would have had a nuclear effect” on the hearing.

On Tuesday, the Federal Court turned down the request by the defense lawyers to allow the new evidence, which would require a retrial. They argued that the Kuala Lumpur High Court judge who presided over Najib’s trial and conviction had an alleged conflict of interest.

The judges did not find any link that could lead to “a real danger of bias,” and there was “no miscarriage of justice,” said Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who leads the five-member panel.

In his statement, Zaid questioned the court’s finding.

“It is beyond belief that the highest court in the land would deny … Najib the right to adduce relevant material and necessary evidence to ensure that the truth is established and justice is done,” Zaid said. The former prime minister is “at a critical point” in the appeals “with his personal liberty at stake.”

A day ealrlier, Hisyam, who was appointed as Najib’s principal lawyer at the end of last month, asked the judges to excuse him because the scope and depth of the appeal, arguing as well that he did not have enough time to prepare. The judges rejected his request.

Earlier this week, the top court rejected another Hisyam request to delay the hearing for three to four months. It ruled Najib knew about the appeal dates, fixed in April, but replaced his legal team in late July.

The former prime minister was convicted in 2020 of seven counts, including abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, linked to 42 million ringgit (U.S. $9.4 million) of SRC International money found in his bank accounts. In addition to being sentenced to a dozen years in prison, he was fined 210 million ringgit ($47 million).

SRC International is a subsidiary of 1MDB, a state investment fund established by Najib in 2009, when he served as prime minister and finance minister. 

Last December, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction.

Najib, 69, denies all allegations and has yet to serve a single day in jail and is out on 2 million ringgit ($448,500) bail.

Bar: Justice system ‘brought to disrepute’

Najib did not issue a statement on Friday, but late in the day, the Malaysian Bar Association issued a statement that heavily criticized the moves made by Najib and his legal team.

The bar condemned what it described as “vicious and unwarranted attacks or threats levelled on the Judiciary and the Chief Justice as a result of the unfolding events at the Federal Court in this case.”    

“The nation is witnessing our justice system being abused and brought to disrepute through the frantic acts and numerous attempts to postpone the hearing of the case,” according to an excerpt from the statement attributed Karen Cheah Yee Lynn, president of the Malaysian Bar.

“It has been observed that Dato’ Sri Najib Razak has abruptly discharged his legal team again today, making it the second time he is resorting to such tactics,” she said. “The decision to change lawyers so late at this stage was his. Therefore, any purported injustice he claims himself to be in, if any, is surely self-inflicted.”

Subel Rai Bhandari contributed to this report from Bangkok.

Copyright ©2015-2022, BenarNews. Used with the permission of BenarNews.

Related Article

In Post-Hasina Bangladesh,Awami League Faces Uncertain…

With its leaders in jail or fleeing from justice, the party that led Bangladesh to independence and ...
October 29, 2024

In Rare Appeal, Tibetan Calls for…

A Tibetan from Sichuan province has made a rare public appeal on Chinese social media, calling on au ...
October 21, 2024

Real Estate Prices Skyrocket as Yangon…

Myanmar’s civil war is driving up housing demand in Yangon, causing rents to skyrocket as people d ...
October 20, 2024

Young Female Tibetan Cricketer Breaks into…

Jetsun Narbu, 19, aims to join the national team while highlighting her Tibetan heritage. By Dechen ...
October 11, 2024

Bangladesh Finds Infamous ‘Secret’ Detention Center…

A new Bangladesh inquiry commission said Thursday it had found an infamous “secret” detention ce ...
October 5, 2024

Tibetan Monk Jailed for 18 Months…

A Tibetan monk has been sentenced to over 18 months in prison on charges of sharing a speech by Tibe ...
September 25, 2024

Other Article

Video Report

The Lessons of War:Survival Classes Introduced…

In order to educate students lifetime lessons on survival and patriotism, Ukrainian schools have int ...
November 2, 2024
Video Report

Cybercrime in Nigeria:Inside a “hustle kingdom”

In West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Nigeria, there is a rise in informal academies known as "h ...
November 1, 2024
Video Report

Weather Damage and Arson Attacks Are…

Election officials in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon, where ballot box arson ...
Pick of the Day

UN Security Council Meets on Threats…

Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarma ...
October 31, 2024
Video Report

US Political History:Some of the Most…

The turn up to the 2024 United States presidential election has been full of twists and turns,but be ...
Pick of the Day

UN Security Council Hears Report on…

Marko Đurić, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, addresses the United Nations ...
October 30, 2024

[wp-rss-aggregator feeds="crime-more-world"]
Top