Malaysian leader’s 1MDB trial delayed

Malaysian former premier Najib Razak's trial over the 1MDB mega-scandal was postponed Monday to allow an appeal to be heard, in the latest blow to slow-moving efforts to bring the disgraced politician to justice.

Najib had been due to go on trial Tuesday for the first time over allegations he was involved in the looting of Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB in a fraud that stretched around the world.

But his lawyers filed an application for the trial to be delayed pending an appeal on a technicality related to the transfer of charges between different courts.

The Court of Appeal on Monday agreed to the postponement to allow for the appeal to be heard, V Sithambaram, a criminal lawyer on the prosecution team, told AFP.