Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, August 8, 2018. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed trial today when faced with three counts of laundering a total of RM42 million.

Najib, 65, pleaded not guilty before High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah.

The charges under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money-Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2002 (AMLATFPUAA) were initially read out to Najib at the Sessions Court before judge Azura Alwi earlier this morning.

He was charged with three counts of money laundering, with the first count involving RM27 million, the second count involving RM5 million and the third count involving RM10 million.

All three counts allege that Najib committed the offence of money-laundering when he received proceeds from unlawful activities in his AmIslamic Bank account through Real-Time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities (Rentas), with the first two counts said to have both occurred on December 26, 2014 and the third count said to have happened on February 2, 2015.

The Section 4(1) offence is punishable by a maximum 15-year jail term and a fine of RM5 million or a minimum five times of the value of the unlawful proceeds at the time the offence was committed, depending on whichever sum is higher.

No plea was recorded at the Sessions Court, which allowed the prosecution’s request to transfer the case to the High Court where Najib’s plea was recorded.

High Court judge Azman then allowed the case to be transferred to High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali’s courtroom, as the latter will preside over two related criminal cases against Najib.

“Upon the agreement of both parties, I transfer this case to Criminal High Court 3, for mention today,” he said, adding that issues of bail would be dealt there.

Najib did not have to post additional bail today, as Mohd Nazlan allowed an extension of the RM1 million bail previously posted in the two other cases for this fresh case of money-laundering, as agreed by both the prosecution and defence.

Previously on July 4, Najib was charged and claimed trial to three counts of criminal breach of trust and another charge of power abuse over RM42 million of funds said to belong to the former 1MDB unit.

Under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which covers the offence of criminal breach of trust by a public servant over property he is entrusted with or has control over, the penalty is a jail term of between two years to 20 years and whipping and fine.

The abuse charge was made under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and is punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of at least five times the sum involved, upon conviction.