Incarcerated former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as well as former 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy have been acquitted from a trial in connection with the alleged tampering of the company’s audit report.
Najib & Arun Kanda acquitted from 1MDB audit report tampering case
According to local newspaper The New Straits Times, the duo’s acquittal at the High Court came after Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan determined that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them. Consequently, Najib will no longer be facing charges under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The alleged offense was said to have taken place in the Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre located in Putrajaya between the dates of February 22nd to February 26th, 2016. Najib had been confronted with allegations that he had used his sway as Prime Minister to instruct for amendments to be made in 1MDB’s audit reports before it was due to be presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
It was claimed that Najib was motivated to do so in order to obfuscate his involvement in the scandal, while also protecting himself from civil and criminal action in relation to 1MDB. Arul Kanda was charged for allegedly assisting Najib in carrying out the amendments.
Both men had been charged under Section 23 (1) of the MACC Act, which upon conviction carries a maximum jail term of 20 years as well as a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
With that said, Najib is still currently serving a 12-year prison sentence and faces a fine of RM210 million for three criminal breach of trust charges, three money-laundering charges and one abuse of power charge.
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