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KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 – Lawyers for Datuk Seri Najib Razak told the High Court today that their representatives bid to have the Attorney General’s Office (AGC) drop criminal breach of trust charges against the former prime minister involving about RM6 .64 billion in government funds paid to the International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC).
Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the defense was seeking a second representation bid as it was understood that there had been several high-level government discussions between Malaysia and Abu Dhabi concerning the settlement of the same funds under the allegations. question.
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“Due to new developments, we will write another statement and refer to these developments to drop the charges (against my client),” he said, adding that the first statement was sent in 2020, but the It was subsequently rejected.
The finance ministry announced in February that two Abu Dhabi companies had agreed to settle legal proceedings involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) by paying US$1.8 billion (RM8 billion) to Malaysia.
The Minister of Finance (Incorporated) (MoF Inc) and 1MDB have settled their legal disputes with Abu Dhabi-based IPIC and Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar PJS) at the London Court of International Arbitration and the London High Court.
MoF Inc owns 1MDB, while a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund IPIC is Aabar PJS.
Earlier, at the start of the hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi told the court that the second accused in the case, former finance secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwans Riga Abdullah provided a statement, so he asked for an adjournment of today’s hearing.
“The matter has been referred to the Attorney-General (Tan Sri Idrus Harun) and his instruction is to postpone the case until a definitive decision is made.
“In the statement, the defense counsel brought up a lot of new developments that the prosecution had to verify first before making a decision,” he told High Court judge Datuk Mohamad Jamil Hussin.
Lawyer Datuk K Kumaraendran represented Irwan Serigar in court.
Muhammad Jamil then adjourned today’s hearing and vacated the remaining hearing dates.
He also fixed May 29 for all parties to update their representatives on the status of their bids.
In October 2018, Najib and Mohd Irwan Srija pleaded not guilty to six CBT charges totaling RM6.6 billion in government funds involving payments to IPIC.
Najib and Mohd Irwan Srija were jointly charged with all offenses committed at the Finance Ministry building in Putrajaya between Dec 21, 2016 and Dec 18, 2017.
They were charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code and Section 34 of the same code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ jail and caning, as well as a fine, upon conviction.
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