1MDB trial may begin Aug 28, apex court rejects Najib’s appeal for delay

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 4 years ago · Published on 13 Aug 2019 11:36AM · 1 Comments

Former prime minister Najib Razak today lost his bid to postpone the 1Malaysia Development Berhad trial. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, August 13, 2019.

THE Federal Court today dismissed the application from Najib Razak’s lawyers to postpone the 1Malaysia Development Berhad trial, which is now expected to start by August 28.

A five-judge panel, led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, unanimously ruled that there was no “error in law” on the part of the high court and appellate court in exercising their discretion on whether the trial should proceed.

Also on the panel are Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak David Wong, as well as Federal Court judges Rohana Yusuf and Idrus Harun.

The ruling dismisses the defence plea to allow the ongoing SRC International trial to first conclude.

Instead, the prosecution is expected to conclude its case this Friday – the final trial date set this year for the SRC International case heard by Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Najib faces seven criminal charges for the SRC International trial and a further 25 criminal charges, relating to RM2.3 billion in public funds, for the coming 1MDB trial.

The 1MDB case is expected to begin on August 28 when the prosecution hands over pre-trial 1MDB evidentiary documents this afternoon, Attorney-General Tommy Thomas told the court this morning.

Thomas said he would apply before Sequerah for the new 1MDB trial date by Monday.

By law, the defence is allowed two weeks to prepare for the trial after they are presented the documents.

Najib’s defence this morning was appealing the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of separate applications from the prosecution and defence to postpone the 1MDB trial.

The prosecution did not join the defence in their appeal this morning.

Both sides had previously applied to overturn high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah’s decision on July 18, when he rejected the prosecution’s request to postpone the 1MDB trial, and fixed trial dates from August 19 to November 14.

Najib is slapped with 25 charges of money-laundering and abuse of power over RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank account between February 2011 and December 2014.

His SRC International trial continues this afternoon. – August 13, 2019.

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Comments

  • If you had your way of course you want to quash this away totally right, don't la be a spoiler "bossku" after you started the story telling so we all are anxious to see its ending. Don't worry a movie is being plan for this story of yours and kalau tak malu go ask for the royalties fee as your an additional income, just make sure you declare it with LHDN like the rest of us ya.

    Posted 4 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply