1MDB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial ended earlier this morning as the Pekan MP needed to participate in the parliamentary debate on numerous proposed bills.
The former prime minister’s hearing before the High Court in Kuala Lumpur was adjourned early, around 11.15am today.
During court proceedings earlier today, Najib’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the ruling coalition at present has only a slim majority of two when voting on 88 proposed bills at the Dewan Rakyat.
"For the next two weeks, (we apply for the court to) take judicial notice that Parliament has a slim majority of two.
"The current (Dewan Rakyat) session is voting on various bills. I was told it was around 88 bills to be passed.
"Once in a while, the government (parliamentary) whip has been evoked, where every single MP has been called (to partake in Parliamentary debate on the bills)," Shafee said.
He explained that once called upon by the government parliamentary whip, the attendance of all MPs in Parliament is compulsory, unless they are hospitalised.
The senior lawyer, in the defence team's application for early adjournment today, then suggested for today's proceedings to end at 11am, as he claimed the voting session in Parliament would begin at 11.30am.
When Sequerah asked the prosecution whether it has any objection to the application, DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib replied in the negative.
The judge then allowed proceedings to go on until around 11.15am, after which it was adjourned to Sept 1.
Today’s brief proceedings involved the defence’s continued cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness, former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.
The judge had also allowed Shafee’s application for the 1MDB trial previously scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday to be vacated.
This is because Shafee (photo) has to attend separate court proceedings at the Palace of Justice at Putrajaya tomorrow and Wednesday.
Previously, there were a few times that the High Court allowed the 1MDB graft trial to end earlier in order to allow Najib to attend Parliament, among them being on July 16.
On May 8, it was reported that the 1MDB graft trial was vacated on May 18 so that Najib could attend the single-day parliamentary sitting that day.
On Oct 15 last year, the court allowed proceedings to be postponed from that date (Oct 15) to the next day (Oct 16, 2019) as Najib had to deliver a speech at Parliament.
Najib is on trial for 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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