PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram (pic) continues to lead the prosecution team in 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-linked cases after the Court of Appeal here dismissed Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal to disqualify him.

       A three-man panel, chaired by Justice Yaacob Sam, dismissed the Pekan MP’s appeal on grounds that there was no appealable error by the High Court judge in dismissing Najib’s application.

       “We find there is no merit in this appeal. We therefore dismiss this appeal.

       “The order of the High Court is affirmed,” he said in a unanimous decision here on Wednesday (Sept 8).

       Other judges on the panel were Justices Abu Bakar Jais and Che Ruzima Ghazali.

       On Feb 15, High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan dismissed Najib’s application to disqualify Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in the trial where the former prime minister is accused of using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.

       The judge ruled the applicant’s claims against Sri Ram, who is a former Federal Court judge, to be baseless and misplaced.

       More to come