KUALA LUMPUR (May 29): The RM6.6 billion criminal breach of trust (CBT) trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former Treasury secretary general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah has been postponed to August.
This is to give Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun more time to decide on the letter of representation sent by Irwan's counsels in March this year.
Following a brief mention on Monday (May 29), High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin set Aug 9 for the prosecution to update the court on the matter.
Initially, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi informed the court that the AG himself had requested a September date as more time was needed to study and consider the facts presented in Irwan's letter of representation.
"For today (Monday), the AG's instruction is to get another date so the representation can be considered further. The amount involved is RM6 billion and some time is needed for all the matters brought up in the letter of representation," he told the court.
Najib’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah did not object to the postponement.
However, Irwan’s counsel Datuk K Kumaraendran asked for a date in July as the charge had been "hanging over" his client for over five years now.
In asking for an earlier date, Kumaraendran also said it would pressure the Attorney General's Chambers to come back with a decision on the matter.
A letter of representation is usually sent by lawyers seeking to reduce or withdraw the charges against the accused.
Irwan's counsels had sent two letters of representation so far; one on Feb 18, 2020, but there had not been any feedback. They then sent another representation in March.
This is Najib's fourth trial related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), where he is charged along with Irwan on six counts of CBT involving RM6.6 billion of government funds to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
Part of the monies are said to be slated for certain purposes including the management expenditures of KLIA, and subsidy and cash assistance, reportedly under the Budget 2017 allocation.
It has been reported that the monies were channelled to 1MDB instead, to repay its debts including US$1.2 billion to Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund IPIC in April 2017.
It was reported in February that IPIC and its subsidiary Aabar Investments PJS agreed to pay the Malaysian government US$1.8 billion.
The settlement was in respect of the legal proceedings in the London Court of International Arbitration and the London High Court.