KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — The prosecution has filed its appeal against the High Court’s decision last week to acquit both ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy of tampering with a federal audit.

Malay Mail understands that the prosecution has just filed the notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, which is well within the 14-day limit to do so.

Last Friday, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur acquitted Najib of his charge under an anti-corruption law over the removal of key information from the auditor-general’s 2016 report, and freed Arul Kanda after finding that he was a truthful prosecution witness and entitled to a certificate that would stop any legal proceedings against him in the matter.

In this case, Najib was accused of having abused his position as prime minister and finance minister between February 22 and February 26, 2016, by allegedly instructing for amendments to the 1MDB audit report — which was already ready to be presented to the PAC — before it was finally presented to the PAC.

Najib was accused of having done so to protect himself from civil or criminal action over his role in the handling of 1MDB operations.

Arul Kanda was accused of abetting Najib, but had later also testified as the 15th prosecution witness in the case.