Court grants Najib's application to amend dates of temporary release of passport

KUALA LUMPUR: Three High Court judges today granted Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's application to amend the dates for temporary release and return of his passport for him to visit his daughter who is expected to give birth to her second child in Singapore in early November.

Judges Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin granted the application as there was no objection from the prosecution.

Najib, 68, filed the application on Oct 21, asking for dates of temporary release and return of his impounded passport to be amended from Oct 20 and Nov 22 respectively to Oct 25 and Dec 6 for him to visit his daughter Nooryana Najwa in Singapore.

In his supporting affidavit, Najib said this was because he was needed to help UMNO election machinery in the Melaka state election slated for Nov 20 as the party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be in Germany to seek treatment for his spinal injuries.

During the proceedings before Judge Mohamed Zaini, Najib's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client filed the application as he had to postpone his trip until after the Melaka state election on Nov 20.

Najib is being tried before Judge Mohamed Zaini for the charge of using his position to order amendments to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) final audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.

Meanwhile, the lawyer also informed Judge Sequerah, who hears Najib's case involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds, that the hearing of the case on Nov 9 to 11 will proceed as scheduled as his client will only leave for Singapore on Nov 21.

In other proceedings, Judge Muhammad Jamil set Dec 9 for the remention of Najib's case after the lawyer said Najib would return to the country on Dec 5 and subsequently return his passport to the court on Dec 6.

Najib, together with former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, will be tried before Judge Muhammad Jamil for six charges of criminal breach of trust involving payment of RM6.6 billion to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

-- BERNAMA