1MDB audit tampering trial postponed to March 28

KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit tampering trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy has been postponed to March 28.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam told the press that the trial, which was initially scheduled to resume on Monday (March 7), has been vacated.

He said Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was flying back from London today.

"He will have to observe the (Covid-19) quarantine period," he said when contacted.

Lawyer Datuk N Sivananthan, who represented Arul, confirmed the matter.

"The trial has been postponed as Muhammad Shafee has to quarantine for five days," he said.

Both Najib and Arul were present in court earlier.

The trial will now run from March 28 until March 31, and the new dates were set during case mention before High Court deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas.

It is understood that Muhammad Shafee was in London on matters involving the appointment of a Queen's Counsel (QC) in Najib's appeal in the RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

The 1MDB audit tampering trial was last heard before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Dec 22, last year.

In the previous proceedings, two witnesses - former auditor-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad and former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh - testifed on the stand.

Najib, 68, is accused of abusing his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report to avoid any action being taken against him while Arul Kanda, 45, is accused of abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report.

Both men were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.