The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged abuse of power and laundering of 1MDB funds enters its 11th day at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
Summary of Najib’s 1MDB ‘donation’ case
HIGHLIGHTS
- Target date for TIA bonds issuance 'very aggressive'
- 'Jho Low asked for Milo ais from Najib's staff'
- Testimony of relationship between Najib, Jho Low is 'hearsay' - Shafee
- Jho Low influenced high-level TIA decisions despite no official post
- Shahrol: Jho Low can directly call Najib
- Jho Low recommended Shahrol to Tuanku Mizan as TIA CEO
- Jho Low offered me a job as TIA CEO, says ex-1MDB CEO
- I met Jho Low back in 2007 when he was my client - Shahrol
- Ex-1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi takes witness stand
- Amhari released from the witness stand
- Court denies Sri Ram's bid to have part of proceedings in chambers
- Ex-aide: Najib never issued orders to lodge reports on 1MDB
- Proceedings resume
Target date for TIA bonds issuance 'very aggressive'
4.15pm - Former Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) and 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testifies that a letter from TIA to the Finance Ministry dated April 26, 2009, had specified a target date for the company's bonds issuance, which was set to be at the end of the following month (May 2009).
He says that to his knowledge, the target date requested was "very aggressive" and had caused inconvenience on the part of the ministry due to the short notice period.
According to Shahrol, Jho Low had told him then that the deadline was set in such a way to ensure that investment from Abu Dhabi's Mubadala can happen.
"Jho Low also suggested for me to push the Finance Ministry, adding that he would push (the matter) top-down through the then-finance minister (Najib Abdul Razak)."
Lead defence counsel Shafee, however, objects to this testimony stating that it is also hearsay.
'Jho Low asked for Milo ais from Najib's staff'
3.40pm - Jho Low showed familiarity with the guard at the then-official residence of Najib Abdul Razak in April 2009, a witness tells the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi says that Low demonstrated this familiarity so much that he had even ordered Milo ais (iced Milo) from the staff at Najib's official residence.
Najib only become the prime minister in early April 2009 and had yet to move from the deputy prime minister's residence to his new prime minister's residence.
"They (Low and Najib) were very close. One observation is when Jho Low took me to the accused's (deputy prime minister) residence.
"So Low took me straight to the guard and waved to the guard.
"The staff demonstrated their familiarity with him (Jho Low). He asked for Milo ais, and we met Najib," Shahrol tells lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram (photo, left).
He says the meeting with Najib was on the introduction of Mubadala Oil's CEO to the former premier.
Testimony of relationship between Najib, Jho Low is 'hearsay' - Shafee
3.38pm - The Kuala Lumpur High Court directs the prosecution to skip a portion of former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi's witness statement on the alleged close relationship between businessperson Low Taek Jho and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah issues the directive in response to lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's objection to Shahrol's testimony in Paragraph 48 of the 270-page Witness Statement.
Reading out Paragraph 48, Shahrol testifies that Jho Low allegedly wrote a letter from Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) to Najib dated April 26, 2009, which showed that Low was close to the accused.
Shafee says that since Jho Low is not in court, it is not proper for Shahrol to testify on the alleged closeness.
Lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram then says he will rephrase the question to Shahrol.
Jho Low influenced high-level TIA decisions despite no official post
2.45pm - The court hears from Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi that businessperson Low Taek Jho had represented both the Terengganu state and the federal governments in Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) meetings.
He says Low could influence executive-level decisions in TIA despite not having any formal position in the wealth fund.
"I see that Jho Low since the beginning played the role of an adviser in protecting the interests of both Terengganu state and the federal governments, especially from the perspective of investments and fundraising.
"He did not have any formal power in the management of TIA, but he could influence the decisions at the executive level because he represented both sides, namely Tuanku Mizan (ruler of Terengganu) and Najib Abdul Razak (federal government)," Shahrol testifies.
Shahrol: Jho Low can directly contact Najib
2.40pm - 1MDB-linked businessperson Low Taek Jho had direct access to Najib Abdul Razak since 2009, the court hears from Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
The former 1MDB CEO testifies that Low could directly contact Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister, on the phone to seek Najib's advice and guidance.
This was based on Shahrol's own observation during TIA meetings.
He also tells the court that Jho Low was able to meet Najib at the latter's house in Langgak Duta or at Sri Satria Putrajaya, the official residence for Malaysia's deputy prime minister.
Jho Low recommended Shahrol to Tuanku Mizan as TIA CEO
2.38pm - Former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi tells the court that Jho Low contacted him on March 21, 2009, and asked him to go to the Istana Terengganu in Kuala Lumpur on the same evening.
At the palace, he says met with Azlan Zainol and later Jho Low.
Shahrol testifies that only then he knew that Jho Low had proposed his name to Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who was then the Yang DiPertuan Agong and ruler of Terengganu, to become a director of TIA and CEO.
Shahrol says he was told that Tuanku Mizan has given his blessings, and he was appointed into the positions through a TIA directors' circular resolution on March 23, 2009.
Jho Low offered me a job as TIA CEO, says ex-1MDB CEO
2.30pm - Ex-1MDB CEO, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, tells the court that he became Terengganu Investment Authority's (TIA) first CEO in 2009 through businessperson Low Taek Jho or better known as Jho Low.
TIA, the precursor of 1MDB, is a sovereign wealth fund registered on Feb 27, 2009.
Shahrol says he was contacted by Jho Low in 2009 when the businessperson asked him if he was interested to join TIA, which was established to develop Terengganu's economy.
"I told him that I had the intention to have a change of career and informed him that I had previously sent my CV to Tan Sri Azlan Zainol, who was also my client since 2006.
"This is because I have worked in Accenture for more than 13 years and wanted to have career advancement.
"Low then told me to get ready, and he would call me when the right time comes," he says.
I met Jho Low back in 2007 when he was my client - Shahrol
2.20pm - Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, 49, testifies that he had known Jho Low since 2007 when he (Shahrol) was working as the managing director for a consultant company called Andersen Consulting (later known as Accenture).
He says that he first met Jho Low, then the managing director of UBG, when UBG became Accenture's client. Their relationship continued even after UBG was no longer a client of Accenture as Shahrol was responsible to maintain ties with former clients to seek future business opportunities.
Ex-1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi takes witness stand
2.14pm - After taking the oath, Shahrol Azral begins reading out his voluminous 270-page Witness Statement.
2.11pm - Proceedings resume with the 9th witness and former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi taking the witness stand for the prosecution's examination-in-chief.
Amhari released from the witness stand
12.14pm - Najib Abdul Razak's former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin is released from the witness stand after lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram wraps up his re-examination.
Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allows proceedings to break for an early lunch to allow the prosecution time to prepare for the 9th witness to take the stand.
Proceedings will resume at 2pm this afternoon.
Court denies Sri Ram's bid to have part of proceedings in chambers
11.47am - The Kuala Lumpur High Court orders Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin to highlight portions of a documentary exhibit that allegedly shows China-Malaysia projects were meant to bail out 1MDB.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah issues the order following lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram's application for this portion of proceedings be in chambers or in-camera.
In-camera proceedings mean that members of the media and public must not be present in court during the testimony.
Najib Abdul Razak's lead counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (photo) counters that the testimony should remain in public the media had already previously reported on the witness' allegation that the projects, which included the East Coast Rail Link, was purportedly a way to bail out 1MDB's massive debts.
Sequerah allows the media and public to remain in the court and directs Amhari to use a highlight marker to highlight the portion of the documentary exhibit that touched on the witness' bailout allegation, without reading out the said portion.
Ex-aide: Najib never issued orders to lodge reports on 1MDB
11.40am - The court hears from Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin during his re-examination by DPP Gopal Sri Ram that Najib Abdul Razak had never ordered him to lodge a report on 1MDB issues.
Gopal: At any point in time, whether between 2015 and 2018, did you ever receive any instruction from the accused (Najib) to lodge a police report in relation to 1MDB?
Amhari: No.
Gopal: (To) lodge a MACC report?
Amhari: No.
Proceedings resume
11.25am - Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as proceedings resume.
11.22am - Najib Abdul Razak's former special officer and the 8th witness, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin takes a seat in the witness stand to await the resumption of re-examination by the prosecution.
11.15am - Najib Abdul Razak's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah enters the court and confers with other members of the defence team while awaiting proceedings to begin.
11am - Lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram and other members of the prosecution team enters the court.
It is understood that the separate criminal cases they had attended earlier are complete.
9.33am - Accused Najib Abdul Razak enters the courtroom and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery to await the beginning of the proceedings.
9.10am - Today's 1MDB trial against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak will resume later after 9.30am today.
DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib says it is because the prosecution team has to handle two separate criminal matters at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning.
One of the matters is the mention of former Felda chairperson Mohd Isa Abdul Samad's RM3.09 million graft and criminal breach of trust case.
The other is the hearing of Najib's stepson Riza Aziz's application to transfer his US$248 million money laundering case from the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to the High Court.
The prosecution is set to wrap up its re-examination of Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, who was accused former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's former special officer.
Lead DPP indicated that the prosecution may have a few more questions to ask the 8th witness during proceedings before the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday last week.
Amhari began testifying in Najib's RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial on Sept 3.
With the 11th day of hearing set to resume before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah around 9.30am this morning, any re-examination is expected to be brief before Amhari is released from the witness stand.
This would pave the way for a new witness to take the stand, possibly former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Asral Ibrahim Halmi, who helmed the troubled sovereign wealth fund for four years beginning 2009. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.