Prosecution seeks to get Arul Kanda to testify against Najib in 1MDB audit tampering trial
KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit tampering trial is seeking to call former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy to testify against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan was informed of the matter in an oral application by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram.
Sri Ram said the application was made under Section 63 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
“The accused (Arul Kanda) has information in relation to transactions with the other accused (Najib), which will materially affect the outcome of the prosecution of that accused (Najib),” the former Federal Court judge said here on Friday.
Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who objected to the application, told the court that the prosecution’s application was “probably the first” of its kind in modern times.
“I immediately see issues, including issues of constitutional in nature,” he added.
Najib, 69, is accused of abusing his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report to avoid any action being taken against him while Arul Kanda, 46, is accused of abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report.
More to come