KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak has filed a motion at the eleventh hour to postpone his trial for allegedly tampering with the 1MDB’s audit report scheduled to begin in the High Court on Monday.
The former prime minister, who wants the hearing to begin on Jan 13, has named the public prosecutor and ex-1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy as respondents.
He said the trial must be adjourned because it would seriously prejudice him and his lawyers to prepare the defence in the SRC International trial, which is scheduled to begin from Dec 3 to Dec 19.
Najib said he had until Dec 2 to prepare the defence for the SRC case and that his lawyers were also involved in the 1MDB corruption trial involving RM2.28 billion.
“The commencement of the 1MDB audit report (case) in November (Nov 18-29) would deprive me and my legal representative the opportunity of adequately and effectively preparing for the defence case,” he said in his affidavit sighted by FMT.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told FMT he received the unsealed copy of the motion and Najib’s supporting affidavit this evening.
He, however, said the court had not fixed a date to hear the motion.
Earlier today, judge Mohamad Zaini Mazlan refused to allow the prosecution’s application to adjourn the 1MDB audit report doctoring case to a later date.
Najib is accused of using his position to obtain immunity from legal action in relation to allegations that he tampered with the 1MDB audit report between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.
The offence was said to have taken place at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya.
Arul Kanda was charged with abetting Najib in tampering with the report before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee.
The second phase of this trial is to be held from Jan 13 to Jan 17.
On Monday, Najib was told to enter his defence on all charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering in relation to the transfer of RM42 million to his account from former 1MDB unit SRC International. - FMT
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