Arul Kanda allowed bail of RM500,000 with one surety

KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad president and CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, who pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court yesterday with abetting former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in altering the 1MDB final audit report, was allowed bail of RM500,000 with one surety.

Judge Rozina Ayob ordered Arul Kanda, 42, to post the bail amount yesterday after dismissing a request by his lawyer, Datuk N. Sivananthan, to pay the bail in instalments.

She also ordered Arul Kanda to surrender his passport to the court and then set Jan 4 next year for mention.

Earlier, former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, who has been appointed senior deputy public prosecutor and leading the prosecution team in the case, requested for bail of RM500,000 to be imposed on Arul Kanda.

Sivananthan did not object, but asked for the amount to be paid in instalments, with RM250,000 to be paid yesterday and the balance today.

He also told the court that Arul Kanda was now unemployed and that he had cooperated with the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) during investigation.

“The bailor, who is my client’s father-in-law, is here in court to post the bail,” he added.

Sri Ram also requested the case to be jointly heard with another case facing Najib as they involved the same issue.

Arul Kanda, who was in a black suit, looked calm and smiled to members of the media who were in the public gallery as he entered the court room and headed towards the dock. — Bernama