KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is sitting in the dock at the Sessions Court here, a picture of calm as he waits for additional charges to be read out to him, believed to be over 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.

It is understood that Najib will be charged today with additional charges of money laundering, on top of his two existing criminal cases of criminal breach of trust and power abuse.

Najib is expected to be charged with the offence of money laundering under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money-Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2002 (AMLATFPUAA).

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 the value of the unlawful proceeds at the time the offence was committed, depending on whichever is higher.

Najib’s family members who were spotted inside the courtroom are his sons Norashman Najib, Mohd Nizar Najib and the latter’s wife Nor Sharmila Shaheen.

Daughter Nooryana Najwa and her Kazakh husband Daniyar Kessikbayev were also seen.

This new case is expected to be before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi in Criminal Sessions Court 9 on the second floor of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.

Access to the courtroom was tightly controlled, with only a limited number of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and media personnel allowed in, apart from family members.

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 SRC International Sdn Bhd.

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 or RM10,000 whichever is higher, upon conviction.