Najib seeks to strike out three SRC money-laundering charges

Najib Abdul Razak will file an application to strike out the three money-laundering charges involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

The former prime minister’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan this during mention of Najib’s RM27 million money-laundering case this morning.

“The three charges are not predicate offences, that is why we expect to seek to strike (them out).

“These three charges were piggy riding on the seven charges before Justice (Mohd) Nazlan (Mohd Ghazali’s High) Court but were knocked out of the way (from being heard jointly with the RM27 million case) due to procedural matters.

“We will make that application,” Shafee tells Zaini as Najib looked on from the dock.

(Predicate offences are crimes underlying money-laundering activity.)

DPP Budiman Lutfi Mohamed then stood up and informed the court that the prosecution will challenge the striking-out bid against the three charges under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla).

“The three Amla charges are valid and we will challenge (the striking-out bid) when properly filed (by Najib’s defence team,” Budiman said.

Earlier today, Budiman told the judge that the prosecution has instructions to proceed with the RM27 million Amla case.

“My instruction is to seek trial dates for this matter... 14 days estimated (needed) for the three Amla charges.

“If we can ask for longer (trial dates), it would be great,” he said.

Shafee said that while 14 days are acceptable, he sought for the trial dates to not include Fridays as the lawyers would have to attend to other out-of-court official matters on those days during Ramadan.

Zaini then set the first day trial for the RM27 million case on June 2 next year.

The judge also set June 3, 4, 9 to 11, 15 to 18, and 23 to 25 for trial.

Zaini also fixed June 21 this year for case management of the case.

Previously in a mention of the RM27 million case, it was reported that Zaini had told the prosecution to decide whether they wished to proceed with the matter.

This is because Najib is already currently before Nazlan’s court being tried on a charge of abuse of power, three charges of criminal breach of trust, and three money-laundering charges involving RM42 million from SRC International.

However, due to procedural issues, the prosecution did not manage to successfully get the RM27 million case jointly heard with the RM42 million case before the latter matter went to the ongoing trial.

For the three Amla charges involving RM27 million, Najib is accused of committing the offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, Bangunan AmBank Group, No 55, Jalan Raja Chulan, on July 8, 2014.

Najib was charged with the three charges at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Feb 8, but the matter was later transferred to the High Court.

(More to follow) - Mkini