KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The High Court has added additional hearing dates for ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s trial over the deposit of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds into his private bank accounts, extending this to November.
Previously, Najib’s 1MDB trial was already scheduled to continue for six days on April 17 to April 18, and May 8 to May 11.
Today, judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah scheduled 30 additional days for the hearing of the trial, after checking with the prosecution as well as Najib’s team of lawyers on their available dates.
The 30 extra days are June 21, July 7, August 14 to 17, August 28 to 30, September 18 to 21, October 9 to 12, October 17 to 19, October 24 to 26, November 6 to 9, and November 14 to 16.
When the trial resumes in April, 58-year-old Malaysian man Kevin Michael Swampillai who was a former banker at the now-defunct BSI Singapore, will continue testifying as the 44th prosecution witness.
When asked how many more prosecution witnesses are expected to be called, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told the judge that five other prosecution witnesses are expected to be called after Swampillai completes his testimony.
Akram said these five would be an analyst from Bank Negara Malaysia, a witness for Najib’s money-laundering charges, two investigating officers and former Bank Negara Malaysia Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
