Today, Najib is expected to arrive in the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex (July 12). (The Edge/Zahid Izzani Mohd Said photo)
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KUALA LUMPUR (12 JULY) – The High Court has denied an application to issue a court order requiring the prosecution to provide documents to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s defence team as part of his discovery application in his 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-Tanore criminal trial on Goldman Sachs-related matters and items.
Similarly, Najib’s defence team was refused discovery on documents relating to former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s husband and son, who were said to have received 1MDB cash from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, by Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
A discovery application is a legal request for parties in a legal action to disclose each other’s documents that are deemed to be related to the case’s subject matter.
Justice Sequerah stated in his ruling that Najib’s discovery request in regard to Goldman Sachs is purely a “fishing expedition” because the prosecution had already informed the court that the documents and things sought by Najib are not in their control.
“This is throwing a wide net in the hopes of finding anything beneficial,” he continued.
Najib wanted bank records and other information from companies alleged to be linked to Jho Low, as well as Zeti’s husband, Datuk Dr Tawfiq Ayman, and their son.
She is the 26th prosecution witness in the 1MDB-Tanore trial, in which Najib is charged with four charges of abuse of power and twenty-one counts of money laundering in connection with RM2.3 billion in 1MDB monies.
Najib also asked the court to force the prosecution to turn over any documents or things related to Goldman Sachs, which was in charge of the issuance of various bonds related to 1MDB.
This is in regard to the US banking institution’s recent settlement with the Malaysian government, in which a total of US$2.5 billion was obtained, as well as another US$1.4 billion in potential assets to be recovered. The allegations against the US banking institution were initially filed here, but they were later dropped after the settlement.
Three bonds worth US$6.5 billion issued by 1MDB in 2012 and 2013 were allegedly mishandled by the US banking institution.
There will be more to come./n
