Najib's appeal against failed bid to dismiss Sri Ram postponed

The Court of Appeal has rescheduled Najib Abdul Razak's appeal against the dismissal of his application to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in his 1MDB cases.

A three-member panel comprising Justices Zabariah Mohd Yusof, Rhodzariah Bujang and Lau Bee Lan allowed the request by Najib's counsel, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, for the hearing to be postponed.

Wan Aizuddin told the court that his client wanted to wait for the decision of the Federal Court on a related matter today.

The prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, did not object to the request for an adjournment. 

Akram also informed the court that the prosecution will be filing a preliminary objection against Najib's appeal to disqualify Sri Ram as prosecutor, which would be centred on whether the matter is appealable.

On March 1 this year, High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed Najib's application to disqualify Sri Ram, the former Federal Court judge appointed as senior deputy public prosecutor.

He found there was no evidence to show that Sri Ram would be biased in handling the case.

Sequerah also held that Najib had no right to demand for Sri Ram's letter of appointment, and dismissed the application to temporarily suspend the trial, which is scheduled to commence on May 14.

On Sept 20, 2018, Najib was charged with four counts under the MACC Act 2009 and 21 counts for money laundering involving 1MDB funds, amounting to RM2.28 billion.