THE 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit report tampering trial was deferred today as former prime minister Najib Razak’s lawyer is on medical leave.

The trial will now resume on August 12 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

The court was told that lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was on medical leave for laryngitis, an infection of the voice box.

He was supposed to continue with his cross-examination of former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy today.

Last week, the court allowed the prosecution’s application for Arul to appear as a witness against Najib in the trial.

Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan ruled that the prosecution’s filing under section 63 of the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 was in order.

He said there was evidence to show Arul was privy to conversations with Najib in two meetings about the 1MDB audit, which happened in 2016.

Zaini further added that the prosecution had given its grounds for the application and the defence would not be prejudiced.

Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to prevent any action being taken against him, while Arul, 45, is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Federal Territory of Putrajaya between February 22 and 26, 2016.

Both of them were charged under section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher. – July 4, 2022.