THE trial judge in Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd case has agreed to vacate trial dates from April 15 to May 3 to allow the SRC International case to proceed first. 

However, high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said this was subject to whether Justice Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is agreeable with those dates. 

Sequerah, who is presiding over the 1MDB trial, added there was one condition – the trial must begin by the first week of May, regardless of whether Nazlan takes up the aforementioned dates for the SRC case. 

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram today presented the court with a letter by Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim, who agreed to an application by prosecutors to vacate the 1MDB trial dates, subject to Sequerah’s approval. 

Prosecutors said they will fix further court dates with Nazlan on Wednesday and inform Sequerah during case management on Friday. 

Prosecutors wrote to Zaharah on Friday, a day after Nazlan fixed April 3 to begin hearing Najib’s trial for money laundering, corruption and abuse of power related to government firm SRC International.

The application was made under Section 19 and 20 of the Courts of Judicature Act, which empowers the chief judge to appoint high court sittings and distribute business among judges. 

Najib, who was present and dressed in a grey suit, appeared calm. He did not speak to the media later. The former prime minister is represented by Harvinderjit Singh. 

Appearing as watching brief for the Malaysian Bar were Roger Chan and Rajsurian Pillai. 

Najib’s SRC International trial was initially scheduled for February 12 until last Friday, but was postponed twice by the court of appeal on February 11 and March 21, following appeals by the defence.

The 66-year-old Pekan MP is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust and one charge of abusing his position over SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.

He was also charged with three counts of money laundering involving the same sum. 

If found guilty, Najib faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine not less than five times the amount involved.

The prosecution are also seeking to jointly try three additional money-laundering charges involving RM47 million in SRC International funds. – April 1, 2019.