Court allows amount reduction in three 1MDB charges, doesn't affect Najib

1MDB TRIAL | The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the prosecution's bid to reduce the amount in three 1MDB-linked graft charges against Najib Abdul Razak does not prejudice the former prime minister.

Criminal court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah this morning allowed prosecutors' bid over one count of abuse of power and two counts of money laundering.

The amendment reduces the amount in one of the four abuse of power charges from RM49,930,985.70 to RM44,570,920.70.

The amendment also sought an amount reduction in two out of the 21 money laundering charges - RM652,600,000 to RM515,666,277.51 for one money laundering count, and RM12,436,711.87 to RM11,411,646.34 for the other money laundering charge.

"Here, it is the amount only that was sought to be amended. Thus the prosecution narrative remains unchanged and there would be no prejudice against the accused.

"It is no sinister or mala fide (on the prosecution's part)," Sequerah ruled as Najib looked on from the dock.

The judge noted that the amendments are necessary due to the ongoing testimonies of two key prosecution witnesses, namely MACC money laundering investigating officer Foo Wei Min and Bank Negara money trail analyst Adam Ariff Mohd Roslan.

However, Najib's defence team are allowed to recall any prosecution witnesses for further cross-examination which may be linked to the amended amount in the three charges.

Najib’s charges

Najib, who is also a former finance minister, faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).

For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014.

On the 21 money laundering counts, the accused is purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013.

The prosecution is conducted by deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar, while counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah acted for Najib.

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