KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): A lawyer is seeking a revision of the Sessions Court’s decision to grant Hollywood producer Riza Aziz (pictured) a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) over money laundering charges.

Datuk Shaharudin Ali filed the revision application, with a certificate of urgency, at the High Court registry today.

In a press release, the lawyer said Sessions Judge Azman Ahmad should have allowed a stay of proceedings and not immediately grant a DNAA.

Shaharudin cited Section 254 of the Criminal Procedure Code in raising the question of whether the judge had correctly exercised his discretion in granting the DNAA.

Claiming that the judge may have made an error in granting the DNAA, he said the right procedure was for the proceedings to be stayed by leave of the court first before the DNAA is granted.

Riza, who is the stepson of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had been charged with five counts of money laundering, involving US$248 million (RM1.25 billion)

Judge Azman granted the DNAA to Riza on May 14 after lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram informed the court that the prosecution had decided to accept the accused’s representation after carefully studying the matter.

“An agreement has been arrived at between the prosecution and the accused under the terms of which the Federal Government will receive a substantial sum running into several millions of ringgit,” Sri Ram had informed the court.

The agreement was criticized by various quarters, especially the subsequent statement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission that former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas had agreed to the deal.

Thomas, however, has repeatedly denied approving the deal.

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