Najib has to attend parliament sitting, trial of 1MDB-related cases postponed to January

KUALA LUMPUR: The trial of the two cases faced by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak relating to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal initially scheduled for this week and next week has been postponed to January 2020.

Najib’s lawyer Nur Syahirah Hanapiah told reporters today that she had applied to the court for the trial of the two cases be postponed as her client had to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting until Dec 17.

“Hence, the court agreed to set new dates for the trial starting Jan 4 to 7 for the corruption case, and from Jan 18 to 21 for the 1MDB audit report tampering case,” she said.

The trial of the corruption and money laundering case involving RM2.3 billion before High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah was initially scheduled from Dec 14 to 17, with the defence to continue their cross-examination on former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman.

The trial of the 1MDB audit report tampering case, which he was charged with former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, was initially scheduled for today till Thursday before High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.

Other dates set by the court for the corruption case were Jan 25-27; Feb 2-4, 8-11, 5-18; April 5-8, 19-22 and 26-28; May 3-6, 17-20 and 24-27; June 1-3, 8-10, 21-24 and 28-30; as well as July 5-8 next year, while for the audit report tampering case, the trial dates are set on Feb 22-24; March 8-11, April 5-8 and April 12-15.

Najib, 67, is on trial for corruption and money laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.

He is also on trial for using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report that had already been “finalised” by Auditor-General, before it was “finalised again” and presented before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to avoid any action being taken against him.

Meanwhile, Arul Kanda, 44, was charged with abetting Najib in making amendments to the report to protect the Pekan MP from being subjected to disciplinary, civil or criminal action in connection with 1MDB.

-- BERNAMA