KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s high profile trial involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds will begin next Wednesday.
Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali fixed April 3 for the trial to start following the Federal Court’s decision yesterday to lift the stay order on the proceedings granted by the Court of Appeal.
The trial is set to start at 2pm on April 3, but further dates for the trial have yet to be fixed.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim had asked the court to fix next Wednesday for the trial to begin as the prosecution was ready.
He said all the documents had been submitted, including the statements of witnesses that the prosecution was going to call.
He said they had already been in the possession of the defence for more than a month.
“It is our view that we can at the very least start with one witness one day,” he said.
Suhaimi also told the court that the prosecution was toying with the idea of writing to the Chief Justice for the case to be given priority over Najib’s case involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
On the judge’s suggestion for the trial to begin on April 1 or 2, Suhaimi said the prosecution would not be able to start on those dates as it would be too short a time for them to subpoena witnesses.
Meanwhile, counsel Harvinderjit Singh who represented Najib said he was “okay” if the trial were to start between May and August as the defence had other matters in court throughout next month.
“I don’t see a need to start the trial for only one day,” he said.
Nazlan told the defence to make some arrangements as the case was a matter of public interest.
The trial was initially scheduled to start on Feb 12, but it was put on hold twice after the Court of Appeal on Feb 11 and March 21 granted a stay of proceedings pending related appeals.
On July 4 last year, the 66-year-old Pekan member of parliament was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one charge of abusing his position over SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.
On Aug 8 last year, he was charged with three counts of money laundering involving the same amount of money.
At another High Court, the prosecution amended three charges in Najib’s corruption and money-laundering case involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds.
He pleaded not guilty to the amended charges read to him before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The case was fixed for case management on April 1.