KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): Former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) director-general Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid, who is facing criminal breach of trust (CBT) charge of public funds amounting US$12.1 million (RM50.4 million), wants High Court judges not hearing 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-related cases to preside in her case.

Hasanah's lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz told this to High Court deputy registrar Farah Azura Mohd Saad, as he also indicated that his client is not objecting to the prosecution's application to transfer her case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

"I told the deputy registrar that our client's instruction is that judges who are not presiding in 1MDB-related cases should be selected for the hearing of the case.

"This follows her case is not related to 1MDB and hence the judge should not be from those who are hearing or may hear the 1MDB-related cases. The deputy registrar takes note of the matter and asked to file a formal written application," said the lawyer to reporters after case management.

Khairul Azam said the application may depend on the decision of the High Court judges here or the Chief Judge of Malaya, Tan Sri Zaharah Ibrahim.

He also said they are not objecting to the prosecution's request to transfer the case to the High Court.

Following this, Farah Azura fixed March 15 for the case to be brought before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah to record the agreement to transfer the case to the High Court.

Khairul Azam said the lawyers will file before March 15 a written application over the proper judges to hear the case.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad appeared for the prosecution.

Hasanah, who was the director-general of the Research Division of the Prime Minister's Department, was alleged to have committed CBT by misappropriating US$12.1 million (RM50.4 million) of funds allegedly belonging to the government.

She was alleged to have done so between April 30 and May 9 last year, at her office in the Prime Minister's Department Complex in Putrajaya.

She faces a charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code that carries a maximum jail term of 20 years' imprisonment, whipping and fine if convicted.

The research division is said to be the official name of the MEIO.

Presently, there are four High Court judges who are hearing criminal cases in Kuala Lumpur, where three of them are stipulated to be hearing 1MDB-related cases. — theedgemarkets.com

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