KUALA LUMPUR (April 29): As Datuk Seri Najib Razak's SRC International Sdn Bhd trial enters its 10th day today, the former premier and the public will know whether High Court judge Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali will strike out the seven charges against the ex-premier or order the trial to proceed.
This follows last Friday (April 26), when Justice Nazlan heard submissions from Najib's other co-counsel Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden that the charges should be struck out as they were vague, a duplicity and hence an abuse of the court process.
Yusof, the former Solicitor General II, along with another lawyer Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, argued that the charges amounted to a duplicity as the former premier should not be charged with criminal breach of trust (CBT) under the Penal Code and abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 at the same time.
Government-appointed prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram said the charges for money laundering, abuse of power and CBT are different ingredients of offences as the CBT is under the Penal Code, the other under the MACC Act for abuse of power and the Anti-Money Laundering And Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities.
Justice Nazlan will first deliver the decision today and should he decide everything is in order, may then direct the trial to proceed with AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R Uma Devi, who is the prosecution's 21st witness, resuming her testimony.
Otherwise, the charges will be struck out of the court or the prosecution may move to amend the charges.
The Edge is bringing the proceedings involving the former chief of the executive branch of the government, or who was the highest ranked government official to be charged, live.
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