KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today set April 3 for re-mention of the case of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is facing seven charges involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM42 million.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali set the date after being informed by deputy public prosecutor Manoj Kurup that the Court of Appeal had allowed Najib’s application to temporarily postpone the trial while awaiting Najib’s appeal in an interlocutory application at the Federal Court.
Today, a panel of three Court of Appeal judges chaired by Judge Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof allowed Najib’s application to postpone the hearing, saying there is a possibility the case maybe declared a nullity following the discovery of several new issues before the court and stressed it was not a tactic to delay trial by Najib.
The panel however rejected three of the four appeals submitted by Najib and the former Prime Minister later filed an appeal against the decision in Federal Court.
The three appeals are Najib’s bid to obtain a gag order to prohibit the media and public from discussing the merits of his criminal case, access to investigation documents, including witness statements at the pre-trial stage, and on the withdrawal of certificate to transfer Najib’s seven charges relating to SRC International’s funds from the Sessions Court to the High Court by the Attorney-General.
The High Court had earlier set 33 days from Feb 12 to 28 and from March 4 to 29 for the hearing of the case but it was postponed until Najib’s appeal is heard in the Court of Appeal.
On July 4 2018, Najib who is also Pekan MP was accused of three criminal breach of trust charges and one charge for the abuse of power involving SRC International fund amounting to RM42 million.
On Aug 8 2018, Najib pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here on three charges of money laundering for the same sum from the same fund.
Najib, 66, was represented by counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. – Bernama
