KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s SRC International trial has vigorously objected to the defence’s request for postponement of the trial, saying that the application is “frivolous and would cause an unreasonable delay to the scheduled trial”.
In a letter dated Jan 17, 2019 sent to High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) prosecution division chief Manoj Kurup, stated that Najib’s legal firm, Messrs Shafee & Co in a letter dated Jan 15 had written to the High Court for the trial scheduled on Feb 12 to be vacated as there were three interlocutory appeals before the Court of Appeal.
The letter said the defence made the application pending disposal of its three interlocutary appeals on the accused’s gag order application, over the accused’s request for the discovery of documents and statements and in relation to the attempt to have Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah’s letter of appointment to lead the prosecution team produced.
“The determination of the appeals, according to the counsel of the accused, is necessary for the defence’s efforts in mounting effective defence.
“We wish to bring His Lordship’s attention to our vigorous objection to the defence’s application to postpone the scheduled trial.
“We wish to reiterate our objections to the defence’s application to postpone the trial and to stress that the defence had well over seven months (from as early as July 4, 2018) to prepare their defence, and such an attempt to indefinitely postpone the trial, must be rejected by this Honourable Court,” it said.
The letter also stated that the court recordings transcription (CRT) would show that as early as July 4, 2018, when the accused was first brought to the court to be charged, the High Court had indicated based on the calendar of the High Court Judge, that the months of Feb and March 2019 were possible free dates for trial.
It further said that on Aug 8, 2018, the judge suggested the trial to begin in Nov 2018, but this suggestion was met with strong objections by the accused’s counsel who informed the court that he had already reserved Feb and March this year for the trial.
On July 4, the Pekan MP was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and one count of abuse of power for gratification involving SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.
On Aug 8, he was charged with three counts of money laundering involving the same amount of money. — Bernama