Malaysia: Ex-premier’s corruption trial set for July

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – A court in Malaysia has rescheduled former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s trial in a corruption case for next month, local media reported on Tuesday.

The trial, initially scheduled to begin on June 2, was postponed by the court on May 13 and it has now set a new date of July 27, according to the state-run Bernama news agency.

It relates to three money-laundering charges involving 27 million ringgit (about $6 million) from SRC International, a subsidiary of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The postponement is "because the court is giving priority to other ongoing cases involving Datuk Seri Najib, including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and audit report trials,” the ex-premier’s lawyer, Nur Syahirah Hanapiah, told reporters.

She said the court had informed all parties involved on May 13 that the trial dates had been vacated.

Najib, 67, is facing three charges of criminal breach of trust, one charge of abuse of power, and three charges of money laundering.

Last February, he pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which state that 42 million Malaysian ringgit ($14 million) of state funds were stolen from 1MDB and transferred to Najib and people associated with him.