KUALA LUMPUR:Former prime minister Najib Razak today claimed trial at the Sessions Court over the allegations that he tampered with the 1MDB audit report before it was tabled before the Public Accounts Committee.
He was accused of using his position to obtain immunity from legal action.
The offence allegedly took place at the Prime Minister’s Office between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.
- Najib was charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, which carries a jail term of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000.
He pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.
Fiat prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram sought bail of RM1 million for Najib. However, Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah objected to the amount.
Citing the earlier case of Arul Kanda Kandasamy, the lawyer noted that the former 1MDB executive director had been charged for the first time.
“They asked for RM500,000 from Arul. This is unfair and discriminatory against Najib as the prosecutors are seeking RM1 million.
“Najib has already paid RM5.5 million in bail for different cases,” he said, urging the court not to impose any bail on the former prime minister.
Describing the RM5.5 million as an “extraordinary amount”, Shafee added that Najib had been forced to secure the money from his relatives.
“Bail should never be oppressive. If there is bail for this case, it would be oppressive for him,” he said.
However, Sri Ram said Arul’s case should be distinguished from Najib’s in terms of bail since Najib was charged as the principal offender while Arul was charged with abetment.
“The principal offender is always treated differently,” he said, adding that he could remember no provision under the law allowing courts to impose a condition of no bail or extend the bail conditions set by other courts to subsequent proceedings.
After hearing the submissions, Azura set bail at RM500,000 for Najib, the same amount granted to Arul who is accused of abetting him in the offence.
Shafee sought for the amount to be paid in instalments, but this was rejected by Azura who ordered Najib to pay the full RM500,000 today. She also set Jan 4, 2019 for next case mention.
This is Najib’s fifth time in court since July.
He already faces 38 charges for various offences linked to 1MDB, its former subsidiary SRC International, and misappropriation of government funds to settle 1MDB’s dispute with the International Petroleum Investment Company. – FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
Arul Kanda pleads not guilty to criminal conspiracy in 1MDB
KUALA LUMPUR — The former president and CEO of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) today claimed trial to one charge of abetting and engaging in criminal conspiracy together with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Arul Kanda Kandasamy was charged with conspiring with Najib to have the 1MDB Final Audit Report altered in February 2016 before it was finalised and presented to the then Public Accounts Committee.
The charge under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009, which was read together with Section 23(1) and 24(1) of the same Act.
Arul nodded in acknowledgment when asked if he understood the charges that were read out to him.
The case was presided by Judge Rozina Ayob at the Sessions Court here, with Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram leading the prosecution.
Datuk N. Sivananthan represented Arul Kanda as his defence lawyer and had argued for bail to be paid in two instalments: RM450,000 today and the remainder tomorrow.
But Rozina rejected his plea and set bail at RM500,000 with one surety to be paid by today. She also ordered Arul Kanda to surrender his passport. – malay mail
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY/ malay mail
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.