24 minutes
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has claimed trial at the Sessions Court here over the charge of tampering auditor general’s report into 1MDB today.
According to the charge which was read before sessions court judge Azura Alwi, he was accused using his position as prime minister to secure protection from ethical, civil or criminal actions against him as a public officer in relation to 1MDB.
He had allegedly ordered the alteration of the final audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The offence was said to have been committed at the Prime Minister’s Office between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.
Najib was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If found guilty, he can be imprisoned 20 years and fined RM10,000 or five times the amount of bribe received. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram who is the lead prosecutor by way of “fiat” (authorisation) said they would seek a joint trial with Najib.
Sri Ram asked for RM1mil bail which was objected by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah.
“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. That is an extraordinary amount,” Shafee said in his objection.
Shafee also said that bail should not be oppressive.
However, Sri Ram pointed out that Najib was the principle offender while former IMDB president and CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy was charged with abetment.
“The principal offender is always treated differently,” he said.
Judge set bail at RM500,000 to be paid in full, rejecting Shafee’s appeal to pay the amount in three instalments, of two payments of RM200,000, and another RM100,000.
It was the same amount Arul had to pay as well.
Azura set next mention on Jan 4, next year.
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.
