KUALA LUMPUR – The 1Malaysia Development Bhd audit-tampering trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the fund’s former president and chief executive, Arul Kanda Kandasamy, will be postponed to next month.
The trial was scheduled to continue next Monday, but has to be put off due to the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) in six states from January 13 to 26 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Proceedings will resume on February 22 at the high court here before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan if the MCO is not extended, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told Bernama today.
“Next week’s trial will be postponed; it will resume from February 22 to 24,” he said in a WhatsApp message.
Asked about the January 27 hearing of Najib’s bid to disqualify senior DPP Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, Akram said it will proceed as scheduled in open court before Zaini.
At least seven prosecution witnesses, including former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa and former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, have testified, and the prosecution will call 11 more witnesses to the trial, which was last heard on October 13 last year.
On June 12 last year, Najib, 68, filed an application to recuse Sri Ram, supported by two affidavits – one filed by the Pekan MP himself and the other by former attorney-general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
Najib was charged with using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report that had already been “finalised” by the auditor-general, before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee.
Arul Kanda, 45, was charged with abetting Najib in making amendments to the report, to protect the latter from being subjected to disciplinary, civil or criminal action in connection with 1MDB.
Both were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction. – Bernama, January 15, 2021
