The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 40th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHT
- I merely accompanied AmBank's new MB to visit Zeti, says witness
- I knew about Najib returning US$620m donation, says AmBank ex-director
- Defence wants more time to seek instruction over apology
- Prosecution seeks apology from Najib over Facebook post
I merely accompanied AmBank’s new MD to visit Zeti, says witness
11am - Former AmBank Group managing director Cheah Tek Kuang tells the court that he accompanied his successor Ashok Ramamurthy on a visit to discuss Najib Abdul Razak’s bank accounts with then Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz sometime in 2013 or 2014.
Cheah testifies that his presence at the meeting was only due to his familiarity with the governor, compared to Ashok.
"The story behind it is, there was a special request for me to go with Ashok, because Ashok was new to the (Bank Negara) governor.
"I had nothing to do with it," the witness says under cross-examination by defence lawyer Harvinderjit Singh.
AmBank ex-director says he knew about Najib's return of US$620m donation
10.50am - Cheah Tek Kuang, a former AmBank non-executive director, tells the court that he knew about Najib Abdul Razak returning a donation amounting to US$620 million to its sender in 2013.
He says that he knew this from then AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu, who contacted him for assistance to get quick approval from the central bank.
Cheah, who is testifying under cross-examination by defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh, however denies that he had received a letter from the former premier stating his intention to return the sum.
Defence wants more time to seek instruction over apology
10.29am - Upon proceedings resuming, Najib Abdul Razak's lawyer Harvinderjit Singh requests more time to consult lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over the prosecution's bid to seek an apology from the former prime minister over a Facebook post defending his credit card spending.
Harvinderjit says that this is because Shafee is occupied with another matter in a separate court.
High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allows Harvinderjit more time to seek instruction later, and permits cross-examination of former AmBank managing director Cheah Tek Kuang to resume.
Prosecution seeks apology from Najib over Facebook post
10.20am - Attorney-General Tommy Thomas makes an application for Najib Abdul Razak to issue a full and unconditional apology over the accused's Facebook post regarding his credit card spending.
On July 15, AmBank employee Yeoh Eng Leong testified that two credit cards in the former premier's name had been charged RM3.36 million in 10 transactions on the same day at an Italian outlet of jeweller De Grisogono in 2014.
Najib had subsequently written a Facebook post defending the credit card spending, saying the funds were used to purchase “gifts” for the royalty of another country.
Thomas tells Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali that the accused's action amounts to committing sub judice, and that he should be treated like any other accused in this matter.
"We seek a full and unconditional apology from the accused and on what he had done, as well as an undertaking from the accused not to repeat what he had done," Thomas says.
Najib's counsel Harvinderjit Singh then requests a brief adjournment to seek instruction from his client, which is granted by the judge.
10.16am - Proceedings begin.
Najib enters court
9.47am - Accused Najib Abdul Razak enters court and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery to begin proceedings.
Earlier, the former prime minister and his defence team were attending a separate hearing, before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, about the prosecution's application to vacate Najib's RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial.
The first day of the 1MDB trial hearing before Sequerah is set to take place on Aug 19, and is highly likely to clash with Najib's SRC International trial which may still be going on.
Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and DPPs are also seen in the courtroom.
Despite still being missing, 1MDB-linked Low Taek Jho (above) may loom large on the 40th day of Najib Abdul Razak’s RM42 million SRC International trial.
This is due to former AmBank managing director Cheah Tek Kuang testifying during the examination-in-chief yesterday that he was ushered in by the wanted individual, known also as Jho Low, into then-premier Najib’s residence at Jalan Langgak Duta in mid-January, 2011.
The defence’s cross-examination by lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, and in likelihood later by lead lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, may seek to peel away at the 50th witness’ testimony over the presence, role, and link of the fugitive financier with the accused.
This is one of the likely thrusts of Najib’s defence team questioning in light of recent cross-examination trend that focused on the extent of Jho Low’s involvement in the transfer of the RM42 million into Najib’s AmBank accounts, among others.
Additionally, proceedings before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali will begin later this morning because Najib and his lawyers need to attend the hearing of a separate matter before another High Court judge, Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The matter before Sequerah is the prosecution’s application to vacate Najib’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial, which is set to begin on Aug 19, in order to avoid it clashing with the SRC trial, which has a high likelihood of not being wrapped up by that date.
- Mkini
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