Jan 7 to hear Najib’s bid for Aussie handwriting expert

SRC TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak’s application for an Australian expert to examine the authenticity of his purported signatures on key documents linked to his RM42 million SRC International case, will be heard by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Jan 7 next year.

This was confirmed by counsel Syahirah Hanapiah, who represented the former prime minister during case management of the matter before deputy registrar Mahyudin Mohmad Som at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Registry this morning.

DPP Sulaiman Khoo appeared for the prosecution during the case management.

It was previously reported that Najib is seeking for the Australian expert to be flown in and examine the crucial documents; the said application is opposed by the prosecution.

According to the Notice of Motion filed on Dec 16, former finance minister Najib seeks for the Australian handwriting expert to examine 35 documentary exhibits linked to his seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering of RM42 million of monies from SRC International.

SRC International was a subsidiary of troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, before the company’s ownership was transferred to the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) in 2012. Najib was then finance minister, as well as adviser emeritus of SRC International.

Among the documentary exhibits that Najib is seeking for the Australian expert to verify the accused’s purported signatures thereon is Exhibit P510, which is the minutes by representatives of holding company (MoF Inc) deciding on the insertion of an amendment to SRC International’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) dated April 23, 2012.

This particular exhibit is among the key documents relied on by the prosecution because it purportedly showed the amendment to SRC International gave Najib control over the decision-making of the company’s board of directors.

Other exhibits the authenticity of which Najib disputes, are 14 AmIslamic Bank cheques issued between Jan 21, 2015, and Feb 26, 2015; the AmIslamic Bank account opening forms for his accounts ending with numbers 880, 898, and 906, among others.

The accounts 880, 898 and 906 were allegedly used to receive the RM42 million in monies from SRC International between 2011 and 2012, among others.

According to the Notice of Motion, Najib seeks for the examination by the Australian expert, to be done without any disturbance, as well as conducted in the presence of a representative each from Najib’s defence team, the court and the prosecution, at a time, date and place set by the court. - Mkini