The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged abuse of power and money laundering of 1MDB funds enters its 36th day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Counsels ask for more lawyers to be allowed in court
- Prosecution wants Riza Aziz to testify
- Sri Ram to seek contempt against Najib over article
3pm - Proceedings resume after a short break.
Counsels ask for more lawyers to be allowed in court
2.35pm - Lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram and head of defence Muhammad Shafee Abdullah seek to have more counsels allowed in court, to enable their teams to function well in the trial.
However, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah says that he could only allow one more from each team given the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is learned that for the time being, only the lead counsel for each team and two other members are allowed to be in the courtroom at one time.
Shafee also suggests to the court to have reporters and lawyers who are watching the trial to be shifted to another courtroom where they can witness it through a live feed.
"(They) can be next door. Priority should be given to counsels," says Shafee.
Gopal had earlier given similar arguments as well, saying that he needed more members of his team inside for a smooth operation.
However, the High Court judge put his foot down and said that he will consider the counsels' request, but for now he would only allow one more from each team.
The court then allowed for a short break as the defence needs to retrieve documents for the trial and Shafee wants to arrange members of his team to assist him inside in cross-examination of former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi (below).
Prosecution wants Riza Aziz to testify
2.20pm - The prosecution informs the court that they will file an application to add Riza Aziz into the witness list in Najib Abdul Razak's RM2.28 billion 1MDB trial.
DPP Gopal Sri Ram informs this to judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
"(Prosecution seeks to add) Riza Aziz to witness list and he is ready to give evidence to the prosecution.
"We will make a formal application," said Sri Ram.
Recently, Riza, who is the stepson of Najib, was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in relation to a 1MDB-linked US$248 million (RM1.07 billion) money laundering case.
It was reported that the DNAA was allowed following an agreement for Riza to return several million ringgit to the government.
Sri Ram to seek contempt against Najib over article
2.16pm - DPP Gopal Sri Ram (above) informs the court that the prosecution will seek a contempt proceeding against Najib Abdul Razak over an article.
Sri Ram says it is because the article quoting Najib contained a very serious allegation that the ongoing RM2.28 billion trial is unfair.
On March 4, Reuters reported Najib as saying he expects an atmosphere more conducive to a fair trial, following the change in government from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional.
2.15pm - Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as the 1MDB proceedings begin.
Najib arrives in court
1.59pm - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak enters the High Court.
He takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery to await proceedings to begin.
Lead defence counsel Shafee enters High Court
1.56pm - Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah enters the High Court, joining other members of Najib Abdul Razak's defence team.
Media, DPP take seats in courtroom
1.30pm - Members of the media started entering the courtroom and taking their seats, which had been rearranged to comply with the Health Ministry's guidelines for Covid-19 prevention.
DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib is also seen in the courtroom to fix seatings for lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram and other members of their team.
Meanwhile, the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex management has also opened two videolink rooms for journalists to monitor the trial through a live feed.
After numerous postponements due to the ongoing movement control order (MCO) among others, the 36th day of former premier Najib Abdul Razak’s trial on the RM2.28 billion 1MDB case is set to resume this afternoon.
The accused’s trial, of over 21 money laundering charges and four abuse of power charges involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds, is fixed before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah at 2pm today.
Proceedings are expected to resume with the defence, led by veteran lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, to continue cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness which is the former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
The last time that Shahrol gave oral evidence while under cross-examination was on Nov 11 last year.
However, following numerous postponements since then, the trial was not able to resume until this afternoon.
Among the reasons for postponements were Shahrol and Shafee being on medical leave; Shafee needing to help prepare for his son’s wedding; Shafee and the rest of the defence team going under self-imposed quarantine linked to the Covid-19 pandemic; the nationwide imposition of the MCO on March 18; and Najib needing to attend the single-day Parliament sitting on May 18.
Courts nationwide postponed all trials and hearings when the government imposed the MCO as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Courts only began resuming operation in stages from May 13 as the government relaxed restrictions to allow the economy to gradually reopen as part of the now conditional MCO.
Aside from the above postponement reasons, Najib's other various ongoing criminal trials, such as his RM42 million SRC International case and his 1MDB audit report case between late last year and early this year, only allowed the court to hear his RM2.28 billion 1MDB case this afternoon. - Mkini
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