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THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has postponed the start of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s RM27 million SRC International Sdn Bhd money laundering case trial to April 21.
Justice K. Muniandy set the date after Najib's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah sought for the court to vacate the hearing dates in September as the defence has a full schedule in August.
Shafee said this is due to SRC International's civil lawsuit against Najib and former 1MDB CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.
The case before Muniandy was originally scheduled to run from September 17 to 19 and September 23 to 24.
There were no objections from deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul to the defence's application for postponement.
He also told the court that the prosecution had served all related trial documents and witness statements on the defence.
Ashrof also said the attorney-general had yet to decide on Najib’s representations for a review of the three charges.
"The position is still the same. I don't foresee any decision in the next few months," he said.
On February 3, 2019, the former prime minister claimed trial to the three charges of money laundering by accepting proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM27 million through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank Bhd, AmBank Group Building, Jalan Raja Chulan on July 8, 2014 under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.
He faces a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, if convicted.
The former Pekan MP is currently serving a six-year term in Kajang Prison for the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International.
Najib then filed a petition for a royal pardon on September 2, 2022, and the Pardons Board on January 29 reduced his jail term from 12 years to six years and the fine was cut to RM50 million from RM210 million. – July 31, 2024.
