The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 14th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
It began yesterday afternoon when the accused's defence counsel Farhan Read raised the issue of Mail Global Resources Sdn Bhd purportedly receiving RM35 million from Ihsan Perdana's account via seven cheques dated Jan 13, 2015.
The lawyer had cross-examined the 30th witness over the extent of her knowledge of the transaction, especially on whether she was investigated over it before or after the 13th General Elections in 2013.
She had then testified that neither the MACC nor Bank Negara had taken her statement over the transaction, which she admitted to being able to recall having taken place.
To what extent Mail Global Resources is involved in the case will be a point of interest, because PKR's Rafizi Ramli had, as far back as 2017 via his blog, alleged that Ihsan Perdana had issued the same number of cheques for the same total of RM35 million to Mail Global Resources on the same date of Jan 13, 2015.
Yesterday, Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said that the defence will implement a cross-examination method that seek to determine whether some witnesses had been persuaded to change their testimony after GE13.
During examination-in-chief by the prosecution yesterday, former Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) officer Amirul Imran Ahmat testified that Najib had signed the federal government's guarantee for an additional RM2 billion loan from KWAP to SRC International.
The 29th witness said that Najib signed the document in 2012, in his capacity as then prime minister and finance minister.
Amirul said that SRC International had received a total RM4 billion in loans from KWAP in two tranches between Aug 2011 and March 2012, in what he testified was the largest loan ever given out by KWAP.
At that time, SRC International was a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). It was transferred to Finance Ministry Incorporated in 2012, after facing problems.
Najib was then the chairperson of the 1MDB's board of advisors and, according to the company's constitution, the final authority on board member appointments, including that of SRC International.
Amirul is subject to being called back to the witness stand to be cross-examined by the defence team, as yesterday the cross-examination could not be carried out due to Najib's counsel Harvinderjit Singh unable to attend proceedings due to being down with food poisoning.
Today's Najib's SRC International hearing before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is expected to start later at 10am rather than the usual set time of 9am, due to Najib and Shafee needing to attend a separate court matter before the Court of Appeal at the Palace of Justice at Putrajaya at 9am this morning.
The Court of Appeal matter is a decision on Najib's appeal to disqualify former federal court judge Gopal Sri Ram from being part of the prosecution in the accused's separate 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial, set to be heard before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Aug 19. - Mkini
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