Shafee unwell, Najib's 1MDB trial vacated

1MDB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is on medical leave today, leading the Kuala Lumpur High Court to defer the full trial for the RM2.27 billion 1MDB corruption case against the former prime minister to tomorrow.

During open-court proceedings before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, co-defence counsel Tania Scivetti informed that the veteran lawyer was not feeling well and that he would be seeing his doctor.

Scivetti: So we would like to apply for an adjournment today.

Sequerah: What is wrong with him?

Scivetti: He is not feeling well. He has been having some issues. He has been having some palpitations. So that is why he is a bit concerned and decided to consult his doctor today.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib then informed the court that both the prosecution and defence teams have agreed to a replacement date as well as additional trial dates, namely March 14 to 15, March 27, and April 1 to 5.

Sequerah then allowed for the trial to be vacated and to resume tomorrow and set the additional eight trial dates for the case.

Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB.

For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014.

On the 21 money laundering counts, the former finance minister is purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013. - Mkini