KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The High Court today acquitted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from his trial over the removal of key information from the auditor-general’s 2016 report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case for Najib to answer.
This means the former finance minister will no longer have to face the charge under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
In this trial, Najib is 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 is accused of having done so to protect himself from civil or criminal action over his role in the handling of 1MDB operations.
Former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, who was also on trial as he was accused of abetting Najib, had however also testified as the 15th prosecution witness.
The High Court also acquitted Arul Kanda.
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