1MDB TRIAL | The Kuala Lumpur High Court has denied Najib Abdul Razak's application for his RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial to be a half-day proceeding tomorrow.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled this in relation to the Pekan MP's request, through his defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who filed the application, to attend Parliament's Question Time at 2pm.
“I appreciate he has a duty to perform but I also have a duty to perform. These are competing duties. This case has to proceed from 9.30am to 4.30pm tomorrow," Sequerah ruled.
Shafee: You are not allowing him (Najib) to attend (the Dewan Rakyat afternoon session tomorrow)?
Sequerah: No. Proceedings adjourn to 9.30am tomorrow.
Earlier, as the proceedings were winding down in the afternoon, Shafee made the application for the proceedings tomorrow to run from 9.30am to 1.30pm.
The veteran legal practitioner submitted that this is so that his client Najib could fulfil his duty as a parliamentarian and in line with Section 32 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952.
The provision deals with the privileges and immunities of the House of Commons to be enjoyed by the House and members thereof in the Malaysian Parliament.
“So if I do not allow (the application), does this mean I can be cited for contempt?” Sequerah interjected while Shafee was making the application.
Shafee then explained that preventing a member of parliament from fulfilling his or her duty comes within the ambit of the Dewan Rakyat speaker, among others.
Najib is on trial over four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification and 21 counts of money laundering in relation to RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds. - Mkini
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