1MDB CASE TRANSFERRED TO HIGH COURT
It involves alleged tampering of firm’s final audit report
THE case of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy, involving the alleged tampering of 1MDB’s audit report, has been transferred to the High Court.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali made the decision after allowing the prosecution’s application to have it transferred from the Sessions Court to the High Court. The notice to transfer was filed on Feb 28 under Section 417 of the Criminal procedure Code.
Lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, who represented Najib, 66, and lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan who represented Arul, 43, confirmed that the defence did not have any objection on the application.
On Dec 12, Najib was charged with using his position to order alterations to the 1MDB final audit report before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid action against him.
He was charged in the Sessions Court, in his capacity as a public officer, which was as the prime minister, with using the position to obtain gratification for himself, which was to evade disciplinary, civil or criminal actions against him in connection with 1MDB, by ordering alterations to the audit report before it was finalised and tabled to PAC, where he directly had an interest in.
On the same day, in another Sessions Court, Arul Kanda was charged with allegedly committing the offence between Feb 22 and 26, 2016. He allegedly abetted Najib, in using the latter’s position to order the amendment.
On Jan 4, the Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi granted the prosecution’s request for Najib’s and Arul’s case to be jointly tried.