KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad president and CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy was charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with abetting former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in altering the 1MDB final audit report.
However, Arul Kanda, 42, pleaded not guilty to the charge which was read out before Judge Rozina Ayob.
He was charged with abetting in a wrongdoing by Najib, 65, who allegedly used his position as a Prime Minister to obtain gratification for himself, which was to evade any possible disciplinary, civil or criminal action against him in connection with 1MDB.
Najib was charged with using his position by ordering alterations to the 1MDB final audit report before it was finalised and tabled to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where Najib had direct interest in and the offence was committed as a result of the abetment by the accused.
Arul Kanda was charged with committing the offence at the Complex of the Prime Minister’s Department, Federal Government’s Administrative Centre, the Federal Territory of Putrajaya between Feb 22 and Feb 26, 2016.
The charge was made under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, read together with Section 23(1) and Section 24(1) of the same law, which carries an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less that five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
Former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, who has been appointed senior deputy public prosecutor, is leading the prosecution, while Arul Kanda is represented by lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan. – Bernama
