The trial against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and former treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah in the RM6.6 billion IPIC criminal breach of trust (CBT) case will commence over two months next year.

During the case mention today, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi requested Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin to set the trial dates.

Najib’s counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah submitted that he is willing to take any dates from as early as January unless there are clashes with the ongoing 1MDB trial against his client.

Lawyer K Kumarendran, who appeared on behalf of Irwan, also requested for an early date, submitting that the case which started in 2018 has been one of the longest in the court’s history.

After hearing submissions from both counsels, Hashim applied for trial dates to begin in May but Jamil eventually set 13 dates in June and another 17 days in July next year.

Both Najib and Irwan were present in court today.

Speaking to reporters later, Shafee said he would remind the prosecution of a response to whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) accepts the letters of representations by both Najib and Irwan for a review of their charges.

“Yes, we will be reminding them. Because there are certain documentation that needs to be done.

“I will remind them (DPP) in writing and in court,” said Shafee.

In the event that AGC agrees to the review bid, prosecutors may apply for the court to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for one or both accused.

On Oct 25, 2018, Najib and Irwan were jointly charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code for breach of trust amounting to RM6.6 billion in government funds involving payments to IPIC.

The case was transferred to the High Court on Dec 7, 2018.

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