1MDB US$5.64bil civil suit: Najib objects to 80pct of Shahrol Azral witness statement

 

Najib's legal team has objected to about 80 per cent of the former 1MDB CEO's 168-page witness statement on hearsay grounds. NSTP/FILE PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: About 80 per cent of former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi's 168-page witness statement has been objected to on hearsay grounds in the civil suit involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The objection was raised by Najib, the first defendant in 1MDB's US$5.64 billion civil suit against him and six others.

1MDB's counsel, Lee Shih, informed High Court Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Redzuan Idrus of the matter today.

"My Lord, this morning, the parties were served with a table of objections concerning Shahrol Azral's witness statement, with about 80 per cent of its contents objected to on hearsay grounds.

"Thus, we needed time to study this. Shahrol Azral is ready to give testimony starting from tomorrow," he said.

The court allowed the request, with the trial to continue tomorrow.

Earlier, the third plaintiff witness, offshore asset recovery specialist Angela Barkhouse, was released from the witness stand after completing her testimony, which began on Monday.

1MDB and its subsidiaries — 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited — filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.

They named Najib, 1MDB's former finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng, former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee, former chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh, former chief operating officer Radhi Mohamad, former investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jim and former chief operating officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil as defendants.

The writ of summons stated that the plaintiffs, among other things, accused the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds. - NST