After this hearing, the court will hear another application by Najib to remove Sri Ram from the prosecution team for the 1MDB audit tampering trial.
KUALA LUMPUR (June 23): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's judicial review challenge to remove ex-Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial will be heard on Monday (June 29), according to a High Court letter sighted by theedgemarkets.com.
The letter dated June 12 to Messrs Shafee & Co and the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) informed the parties involved of the hearing date. The date of the hearing was fixed for Monday at 2pm in the High Court's (appellate and special powers division) before Justice Datuk Seri Mariana Yahya.
The Monday hearing follows the Federal Court’s decision in October 2019 to dismiss applications by the AGC, Sri Ram and the government for leave to appeal against an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal granting Najib and Muhammad Shafee permission to make the challenge.
It was reported that a three-member Federal Court bench, led by Chief Justice Tan Sri Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, had then dismissed the applications by the AGC, Sri Ram and the government.
Sitting with Justice Tengku Maimun then were Federal Court Judges Datuk Seri Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Tan Sri Idrus Harun, it was reported.
Najib, who is facing money laundering charges, and Muhammad Shafee have filed a judicial review application to challenge Sri Ram's appointment. Najib and Muhammad Shafee’s application was initially dismissed by former High Court judge Justice Datuk Azizah Nawawi, who is now a Court of Appeal judge.
The Court of Appeal, however, overturned the High Court’s decision, followed by the Federal Court’s dismissal of the AGC, Sri Ram and the government’s applications.
After the Monday hearing of Najib and Muhammad Shafee’s application, the High Court will hear another application by Najib to remove Sri Ram from the prosecution for the 1MDB audit tampering trial.
High Court Judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan will hear Najib’s application on Aug 7.
The Edge is covering the trial live here.
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