The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 27th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
Rosmah leaves court after prosecution questions presence
9.38am - Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor exits the court after DPP V Sithambaram raises the question of whether it is proper for her to be in the same court as her husband, as she is a potential witness in the case.
She is seen standing up from the front row of the public gallery and leaving the court together with her lawyer K Kumaraendran.
Immediately prior to that, Sithambaram informs the court that as Rosmah's statement had already been recorded, it would be prudent for her not to be in court to avoid future problems.
"Rosmah Mansor is in court. She is a potential witness in this case, her witness statement was recorded.
"We do not wish for any problems later. We do not wish to be seen as being difficult, it is just a matter of procedure," says Sithambaram.
Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah then informs the court that he will leave it to Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali to make a decision on the matter.
Rosmah arrives at court
9.22am - Clad in a red baju kurung, Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor enters the courtroom.
She takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery, right behind the dock where her husband sits while proceedings are underway.
Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is cross-examining former SRC International chairperson Ismee Ismail.
Najib enters the dock
9.07am - Najib Abdul Razak steps into the dock as proceedings begin.
9am - The accused, Najib Abdul Razak, enters court and takes a seat in the front row of the public gallery to await the start of proceedings.
Also seen in court is his lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and the defence team, as well as DPP V Sithambaram and others comprising the prosecution team.
Today marks the seventh day that former SRC International chairperson Ismee Ismail will take the stand in former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s trial for alleged abuse of power, corruption, and money laundering of RM42 million from SRC International.
When the 27th day of the hearing begins before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali at 9am today, 39th witness Ismee (photo) will again face a grilling from Najib’s defence lawyer Harvinderjit Singh.
After Harvinderjit wraps up his cross-examination, Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is expected to take over the questioning of Ismee, as Harvinderjit informed the judge at the end of yesterday's proceedings.
In the course of the periodically contentious questioning, which saw Harvinderjit and Ismee clash more than once since Tuesday last week, the witness had yielded peeks into the inner workings of SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary which became fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) in 2012.
Najib, who was then head of MoF Inc, currently faces one count of abuse of power, three counts of graft and three counts of money laundering involving the RM42 million,
Yesterday, the heated cross-examination by Harvinderjit led to Ismee testifying that SRC International’s board of directors (BOD) had taken then premier Najib to be the equivalent of the government, in relation to the process in approving the company’s application for a loan from Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) involving a second tranche of RM2 billion, among others.
Despite Harvinderjit’s insistence that that Najib was merely part of the larger government machinery, Ismee kept saying that the accused was, for all intents and purposes, the government.
The witness said this was based on the representation by SRC International’s then chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil to the company’s BOD.
Currently missing and wanted by the authorities to assist in the ongoing 1MDB probe, Nik Faisal has been the target of the defence’s line of cross-examination, with Ismee being bombarded with questions on whether Nik Faisal lied to SRC International’s BOD over several key matters in the financial management of the company.
- Mkini
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