Thursday 28 Mar 2024
By
main news image

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 13): Today, the prosecution and Datuk Seri Najib Razak's defence team will find out new court commencement date for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit tampering charge against the former premier and the company's ex-president Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

Najib will start off at Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan's court for his decision on when the trial — initially scheduled to begin next week and end on Nov 29 — will start.

The prosecution had asked for the proceedings on the audit tampering charge to be delayed as former 1MDB CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi has yet to finish testifying or to be cross-examined by Najib's defence team.

Along with two others, Shahrol, who was the CEO at 1MDB's inception, is said to be a key witness in the audit tampering case. Shahrol is also a key witness in the 1MDB-Tanore trial.

Justice Zaini is thinking of continuing the trial in January.

Moreover, Najib had on Monday been ordered to enter his defence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, which will begin on Dec 3 to 19 before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, hence leaving fewer trial date options for other cases.

Shahrol will continue to be cross-examined at Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah's court as the 1MDB-Tanore trial enters the third week.

The 49-year-old witness, the ninth called by the prosecution, had to cut short his testimony on Monday as he was unwell. He also asked to be excused on Tuesday.

In his testimony on Monday, Shahrol testified that it was fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho who suggested Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil's name for the position of 1MDB chief financial officer when executive director Casey Tang declined the post.

Nik Faisal subsequently became one of the key figures in SRC when he was appointed its CEO and managing director.

The Edge is reporting the proceedings of the 1MDB-Tanore trial live.

      Print
      Text Size
      Share