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.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Laughter in court as witness is asked to identify SRC ex-director
- Banker confirms witness statement based on bank documents
Laughter in court as witness is asked to identify SRC ex-director
11.08am - A light moment pierces the normally serious proceedings when DPP Ishak Mohd Yusoff asks 29th witness Amirul Imran Ahmat (below) to identify former SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.
It is understood that Nik Faisal has not been successfully located by the authorities so far.
Chuckles can be heard from the public gallery when a photo of Nik Faisal is tendered to the witness, who is a former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) officer.
Ishak: Can you identify Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil?
Amirul: Yes.
Ishak: Take a look at the picture (laughter ensues in background).
Amirul: Yes (points to the picture).
Banker confirms witness statement based on bank documents
11.00am - The hearing starts with defence counsel Farhan Read continuing his cross-examination of the prosecution's 30th witness, Norhayati Mohd Yunus (below), who is the manager of Affin Bank's branch at The Curve, Petaling Jaya.
The cross-examination, however, only lasts for about a minute, with Farhan asking Norhayati to confirm whether her witness statement was based on available bank documents.
To this, Norhayati replies in the affirmative, before she is released.
The 29th witness, former Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) officer Amirul Imran Ahmat, is then called back to the stand.
Najib enters dock
10.58am - Former premier Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali comes into the courtroom to begin the hearing.
10.50am - Former premier Najib Abdul Razak's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah enters the courtroom and takes a seat at the front to await the beginning of proceedings in the accused's SRC International trial.
The veteran lawyer had arrived after addressing a separate legal matter at the Court of Appeal earlier this morning.
The matter concerned Najib's appeal to disqualify former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in the accused's 1MDB trial.
It was reported earlier this morning that the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib's appeal, thus allowing Sri Ram to continue being part of the prosecution in the 1MDB trial.
10.26am - Najib's defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh is seen entering court with other members of the defence team.
The lawyer is conferring with fellow defence lawyers as members of the prosecution also begin filling in the front seats to await the resumption of proceedings.
Yesterday, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali that Harvinderjit could not attend proceedings as he was down with food poisoning.
10am - Ex-premier Najib and his defence attorney Muhammad Shafee Abdullah have yet to arrive, as they are attending a separate court matter before the Court of Appeal at the Palace of Justice at Putrajaya at 9am this morning. This trial is due to resume at 10am but is likely to start later.
As Najib Abdul Razak's trial over alleged misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd's funds enter its 14th day today, the former premier's defence team is set to further grill the 30th witness, Affin Bank The Curve branch manager Norhayati Mohd Yunus, over transactions involving Ihsan Perdana's accounts at the commercial bank.
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.
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