Prosecution wants 1MDB trial to be pushed to October

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas is seeking to postpone former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial until October.

This is because the prosecution anticipates that Najib's RM42 million SRC International trial is unlikely to end before the 1MDB trial begins.

The 1MDB trial, which is also known as the Tanore trial, is scheduled to take place between Aug 19 and Sept 30.

Najib’s ongoing SRC trial before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is scheduled to continue until Aug 15.

However, Thomas told Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah today at the Kuala Lumpur High Court that the prosecution had met Justice Mohd Nazlan in his chambers earlier this week to discuss the prospect of setting further trial dates for Najib’s SRC trial until September.

This, Thomas said, is because “there is no way” that Najib’s SRC trial could be completed by Aug 15.

“The only method of predicting progress of (Najib’s SRC trial) is by looking at past (proceedings). Over the course of 30 days of trial, we have called over 40 witnesses.

“However, the prosecution’s perspective is that it (Najib’s SRC trial) is going slower than expected. We project another 25 witnesses to be called,” he said.

“We are wondering if the Tanore trial can start instead on Oct 1,” he said, suggesting that this would allow Najib’s SRC trial to proceed on the August and September dates initially scheduled for the Tanore trial.

Thomas added that it is a matter of principle for Najib’s SRC trial to be completed first before the Tanore trial begins, “otherwise, it would all (be left) hanging”.

It is understood that Justice Sequerah had previously approved the prosecution’s applications to postpone the Tanore trial several times, due to Najib’s SRC trial taking longer than expected to complete.

“Why can’t the two cases (Tanore trial and SRC trial) proceed simultaneously?” Justice Sequerah asked today.

“On Monday of Aug 19, our (Najib’s SRC) trial will not be completed and it is also Tanore first day (of trial). It would be a problem as he (Najib) could not be in two docks (in separate courts) at the same time,” Thomas replied.

Sequerah then scheduled case management to be held on July 15, as the court would be in a better position by then to decide whether to allow the prosecution’s postponement bid, based on the prosecution's update on the progress of Najib's SRC trial.

Najib was represented by lawyers Farhan Muhammad Shafee and Tania Scivetti.

The upcoming Tanore trial concerns Najib’s four charges under the MACC Act 2009, and 21 money laundering charges involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds.

Less than 30 witnesses for RM27m SRC trial

Meanwhile, with regard to Najib's RM27 million SRC International money laundering case, DPP Budiman Lutfi Mohamed revealed that less than 30 witnesses would be called.

This trial is separate from his ongoing RM42 million SRC trial.

"Less than 30 witnesses will be called for the (RM27 million) SRC hearing," Budiman said.

He was speaking to reporters after case management of the RM27 million case before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.

During proceedings, Zaini had set April 7 next year for further case management of the matter.

The judge set the date after being informed by Budiman that the prosecution had handed over 200 pages’ worth of documents to the defence team yesterday.

The judge set the case management date to allow any further serving of documents between parties that may take place in the run-up to the RM27 million SRC International trial, which is set to begin on June 2 next year.

Najib was represented by counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed. - Mkini