KUALA LUMPUR (April 16): The High Court has fixed May 31 to hear former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application to compel the prosecution to supply documents in relation to his discovery application on Goldman Sachs-related matters and items in his 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore trial.
The court also fixed the same day to hear the defence application for discovery on matters related to former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz's husband and son, who were alleged to have received 1MDB funds from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.
The date was fixed by Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah following case management between the prosecution and Najib's defence team today.
DPP Mohamed Mustafa P Kunyalam confirmed the hearing date when contacted by theedgemarkets.com.
“Parties are to exhaust affidavit by May 17,” he added.
Najib was represented by senior counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who said they had submitted an affidavit as to the request on April 12.
The defence had asked the prosecution to supply any documents or items in relation to Goldman Sachs, which was responsible for handling the issuance of several bonds in relation to 1MDB.
This is in relation to the recent settlement that the US financial institution has with the Malaysian government where a sum of US$2.5 billion was received as well as another US1.4 billion worth of possible asset recovery. The US financial institution was initially charged here and the charges were withdrawn following the settlement.
The US financial institution was alleged to have mishandled three bonds totalling US$6.5 billion that were issued by 1MDB in 2012 and 2013.
Meanwhile, Zeti's husband Datuk Tawfik Ayman and his son were alleged to have received US$16.22 million, which was channelled into Singapore-based Iron Rhapsody Ltd, a company formerly controlled by the duo.
Yesterday, it was reported that Tawfik and his son had gone to the police commercial crime unit and had their statements recorded for three hours to assist investigations classified under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activity Act 2001 for purported money laundering.
Najib is facing four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering in relation to RM2.3 billion with regard to 1MDB funds.
The 1MDB-Tanore trial is expected to resume next month, at the conclusion of Najib's present SRC International Sdn Bhd appeal at the Court of Appeal.