KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 ― Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may get a new judge to hear his criminal and corruption case on the misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) next month, Malaysiakini suggested.

Citing unnamed sources, the news portal reported today that the High Court judge who had recorded Najib’s claim to trial on July 4, Datuk Mohd Sophian Abdul Razak, is scheduled to be transferred from the criminal division to the commercial division of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on August 1.

The judge’s name has also been spelt Mohd Sofian in the judiciary’s website and other news outlets.

Najib was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of power abuse in misappropriating RM42 million in funds from SRC International.

The High Court has set August 7 for case management.

Malaysiakini said a recent check on the cause list show that Justice Sofian is still named to preside over the SRC International case.

However, it reported that another High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, currently in the commercial division, is to be transferred to the criminal division on the same date.

Because of this lateral transfer, the news portal said its sources believe Justice Nazlan may be the new judge to hear Najib’s SRC International case.

Justice Sofian was put in the spotlight following news reports that he is the younger brother of a Pahang Umno lawmaker Datuk Mohd Soffi Abdul Razak.

Malaysian Bar president George Varughese had then called on Justice Sofian to recuse himself from hearing Najib’s SRC International case, citing the need to "preserve the integrity of the proceedings before him and to avoid any real danger of bias”.