Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s RM9.5 million money-laundering case will begin trial tomorrow, three years after the lawyer was first charged with the offence.
As a result, Najib Abdul Razak’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial had to be wrapped up earlier at 2.45pm this afternoon. The former prime minister is represented by Shafee.
Earlier, High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed Shafee’s application for the 1MDB trial to end earlier.
“I want to meet my counsel to discuss my (RM9.5 million money-laundering) case (set for trial),” Shafee informed Sequerah during open-court proceedings.
Sequerah is presiding over Najib’s 1MDB corruption trial.
Another High Court judge, Muhammad Jamil Hussin, is set to hear Shafee’s trial.
The lawyer was accused of receiving the sum from Najib.
In September 2018 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, Shafee was charged with two counts of money laundering and two counts of making false statements linked to the purported RM9.5 million. The case was later transferred to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
At Najib’s 1MDB corruption trial, the proceedings began much later as he and Shafee had to attend separate court proceedings.
The separate court proceedings before Jamil was a decision on the government’s suit to forfeit RM114 million in 1MDB-linked cash.
Najib was among third-party claimants seeking to contest the government's legal bid to forfeit the RM114 million.
For the 1MDB case, Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB's funds.
The proceeding will resume on Monday next week, where former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman's cross-examination by Najib’s defence team will continue. - Mkini
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