Najib, Arul claim trial
EX-PM pleads not guilty to tampering with 1MDB’s final audit report, while the firm’s ex-CEO pleads not guilty to abetting him.
DATUK Seri Najib Razak and former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) president and chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy may be looking at 20 years’ jail if they are convicted of tampering with the final audit report of the graft-tainted state investment fund.
Najib, 65, and Arul, 42, yesterday claimed trial to the offence under Section 24 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
Najib pleaded not guilty to a charge of using his position as then prime minister to order the amendment to the audit report before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee.
He was accused of committing the offence at Kompleks Jabatan Perdana Menteri in Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.
If convicted, Najib and Arul Kanda face a maximum of 20 years’ jail and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi allowed RM500,000 bail in one surety and ordered it to be posted by yesterday.
She fixed Jan 4 for mention after being told by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram that the prosecution would seek a related case to be transferred before her.
Najib was represented by counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Najib, who is former Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president, was arrested on Monday to finalise the investigation by MACC before he was released on bail the same day.
On Nov 25, Auditor General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad had said Najib had instructed for amendments to be made to the 1MDB final audit report to exclude several paragraphs, including a mention of the presence of fugitive entrepreneur Low Taek Jho at a 1MDB board meeting.
Low has been painted by the United States Department of Justice as a central figure in the 1MDB scandal.
In another court, Arul Kanda pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetting Najib.
He appeared calm when the charge was read to him before Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob.
He was accused of abetting Najib to commit the offence at the same place and time.
Rozina allowed RM500,000 bail in one surety, and ordered Arul Kanda’s passport to be surrendered to the court until disposal of the case.
She fixed Jan 4 for mention. Gopal prosecuted, while Arul Kanda was represented by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan.
On Tuesday, Arul Kanda was arrested when he went to provide his statement at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.