2-3 minutes Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s (pic) 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial scheduled for Tuesday (March 10) at the High Court here was vacated to make way for the ongoing SRC International Sdn Bhd hearing.
This followed an application by the defence led by lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to vacate the scheduled continuation of the 1MDB proceedings because the SRC International trial, which also involves Najib, has not finished yet.
"The SRC International case is now in the final stage of defence and the defence is expected to close its case today or tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Muhammad Shafee during case management before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, who represented the prosecution, did not object to the application.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustapa P. Kunyalam, when contacted, said Judge Sequerah ordered that if the SRC International case could be completed today, the 1MDB trial would resume tomorrow.
"But if the SRC case could not be finished today, the 1MDB trial will resume on Thursday,” he said.
The other dates for the 1MDB trial remain as set by Judge Sequerah earlier, that is March 11-13, 19-20, 23-27, 30-31, the whole of April, May 4 and all working days of June to October, including Fridays.
When the 1MDB hearing resumes, Muhammad Shafee is expected to continue cross-examining ninth prosecution witness, former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
Najib, 67, faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same money.
In the SRC International case, Najib is making his defence on seven charges of misappropriating RM42mil in SRC International funds, comprising three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power in relation to the SRC funds. - Bernama
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