Najib Razak, former PM of Malaysia, tampered with 1MDB evidence, court told

Najib ordered the removal of ‘material information’ from an audit report on the scandal-plagued fund while still in power, prosecutors said

The charges of abuse of power against Najib and others are both punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine if they’re convicted

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Former Malaysian Prime minister Najib Razak leaves Kuala Lumpur High Court. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:18pm, 18 Nov 2019Updated: 6:03pm, 17 Dec 2019

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak ordered the removal of material information from an investigation report into beleaguered state investment fund 1MDB to avoid civil or criminal liability, prosecutors contended on Monday at a hearing of his third criminal trial.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, in his opening statement, said Najib was abetted by Arul Kanda, the former chief executive of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, who together with Najib pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to charges of tampering with an audit report on the scandal-plagued fund.

Former head of 1MDB, Arul Kanda, arrives for his trial at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Photo: AFP

“The accused used his position as the prime minister and the minister of finance to direct the removal of material information,” Gopal told the court. “The prosecution will show that the accused Najib did what he did in order to avoid civil or criminal liability that would have visited him as a shadow director of 1MDB as well as in his positions as prime minister and minister of finance.”

Najib’s once iron-fisted rule crumbled following an historic election in May last year that ended the Barisan Nasional coalition’s 60-year grip on power.

Since then, the former prime minister has been slapped with a total of 42 charges that cover money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in connection with 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International.