The High Court today fixed additional hearing dates for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s corruption trial over 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds from this November until June next year.
On top of trial dates previously fixed from August to October this year, the High Court today added on the dates in November (9-12,16-19, 25-27) and December (1-3, 14-17).
As for next year, the additional trial dates fixed for now are in January (4-7, 18-21, 25-27), February (2-4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-25), April (5-8,12-15, 19-22, 26-28), May (3-6, 17-20, 24, 25, 27), June (1-3, 8-10, 14-17, 21-24, 28-30).
The 1MDB trial started on August 28, 2019 and has gone on for more than 40 days now.
Najib’s lawyers are currently cross-examining the ninth prosecution witness, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who is the former chief executive officer of 1MDB.
Previously, the prosecution said that it has lined up 55 more prosecution witnesses ― including about 20 formal witnesses ― to be called up for Najib’s 1MDB trial.
Following the trial proceedings today, Najib’s 1MDB trial that is being heard before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume on August 3, with Shahrol’s cross-examination to resume then.
Najib has more than one trial going on at the same time, with High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali expected on July 28 to deliver a decision on whether the former prime minister is guilty or not of the charges in the separate trial involving RM42 million of former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd. – MMO