Day 76: Najib's defence to call in next witness on Monday
LIVE | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 76 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
LIVE | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 76 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
Summary of Najib’s SRC RM42 million case
Najib is facing 7 charges relating to RM42m involving SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Court adjourns, next witness comes in on Monday
- Prosecution chooses not to cross-examine Irwan
- Prosecution prepares cross-examination
- Irwan pleads ignorance over second gov't guarantee process
- Irwan claims he was not involved in gov't guarantee for RM2b loan to SRC
- Over a month on average to receive approval for government guarantee'
- Court hears criteria on gov't guarantee
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Reporting by Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid and Faisal Asyraf. Photographs by Azneal Ishak. Social media updates by Ewe Linq Yenn.
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Najib's defence team to have fourth witness ready on Monday, court hears
12.12pm - Najib Abdul Razak's defence team will have a fourth defence witness ready to testify on Monday, the High Court hears.
Defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informs Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali this at the end of proceedings.
Nazlan then adjourns proceedings for today and to resume at 9am on Monday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday next week, an Australian expert will also examine the disputed signature on documents linked to the SRC International case.
It was previously reported that the court had approved an application by Najib's defence to allow the expert to examine the documents.
When the court allowed the application, it also ruled that the expert's examination would be conducted at another venue so that the SRC trial can proceed at the same time.
Prosecution opts not to cross-examine former Treasury sec-gen
12.07pm - DPP V Sithambaram informs the High Court that the prosecution has opted not to cross-examine former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Prosecution prepares to cross-examine defence witness
12.06pm - Proceedings resume after brief break, with the prosecution about to cross-examine former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Najib's defence ends questioning former Treasury sec-gen
11.39am - Najib Abdul Razak's defence team wraps up examination-in-chief of former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
Defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informs the High Court that he has no further questions after briefly taking over from counsel Farhan Read in questioning Irwan.
Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then allows proceedings to go for a brief break to allow the prosecution to prepare a cross-examination of Irwan.
Since morning, Irwan, who only became Treasury secretary-general around mid-2012, had been testifying without a prepared witness statement.
11.32am - Proceedings resume.
11.11am - Court calls for short break.
Irwan: I was not instructed to sign memo on second gov't guarantee to SRC
10.53am - Former treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah testifies that then second finance minister Husni Hanadzlah never told him that he (Husni) was instructed to sign a memo for a second government guarantee for a RM2 billion loan to SRC International.
Irwan says this during examination-in-chief by defence counsel Farhan Read.
Irwan, who was deputy Treasury secretary-general in 2012, says this when Farhan asks whether Husni had ever told Irwan that he (Husni) was instructed to approve the memo.
The memo was later sent to the cabinet in early 2012, regarding the government guarantee for the second tranche of the RM2 billion loan to SRC.
I was not involved in govt guarantee for RM2b loan to SRC: Irwan
10.48am - Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah testifies that he was not involved in the 2011 government guarantee for RM2 billion loan from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International.
He says this during examination-in-chief by defence counsel Farhan Read.
In relation to a question from Farhan on the extent of involvement in the second government guarantee issued for KWAP's second RM2 billion loan to SRC in early 2012, Irwan says he was not involved in any discussion on the matter.
He says he merely signed the related memo, prior to being tabled at the cabinet, as the then Treasury secretary-general was not around to sign the memo.
Irwan was then deputy Treasury secretary-general in early 2012.
"Number one was not around, so they went to me, the number two, to get signature on the memo and send to the minister," Irwan says.
'Over a month on average to receive approval for government guarantee'
10.38am - Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah testifies that it usually takes over a month to receive cabinet approval for government loan guarantees.
During examination-in-chief by defence counsel Farhan Read, the third defence witness says this in reply to a question on the average timeline from time of application to cabinet approval.
Irwan was then still deputy Treasury secretary-general when government guarantees were approved for the RM4 billion loans from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International.
The first government guarantee came in late 2011 for KWAP's RM2 billion first tranche loans to SRC, and the second government guarantee came in early 2012 for KWAP's second tranche of another RM2 billion loans to SRC.
Irwan only became Treasury secretary-general in late 2012, taking over from Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.
"It depends. It can take one to three months, it can take less than a month, depending on the urgency needed. Normally, it is one to three months, the average needed," he says.
During the prosecution stage of the RM42 million SRC trial last year, prosecution witness Maliami Hamad, who was former senior finance ministry officer, testified that orders came from then finance minister Najib through intermediaries, to rush the processing of SRC's application for a government guarantee for the billions of ringgit in loans from KWAP to SRC.
Gov't guarantee may be given to new companies if projects secured, court hears
10.30am - Former treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah testifies that only in exceptional circumstances can government guarantee be given to new companies.
The third defence witness says this during examination-in-chief by defence counsel Farhan Read.
Irwan says this only happens if the project by the new company is a sure thing.
Farhan is asking a general question on when a government guarantee can be issued.
Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC International case involves the issuance of government guarantee for RM4 billion in loans from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC.
Irwan Serigar testifies
9.45am - Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah takes the oath to testify. Defence counsel Farhan Read begins examination-in-chief.
Najib enters the dock as proceedings begin.
9.43am - Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah is expected to testify as the third defence witness.
9.30am - Accused Najib Abdul Razak enters the Kuala Lumpur High Court and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery.
Also seen awaiting proceedings to begin are Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and other DPPs, as well as members of the former prime minister's defence team.
Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah is set to testify during the 76th day of Najib Abdul Razak’s RM42 million SRC International trial today.
Yesterday, former prime minister Najib’s defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh informed the Kuala Lumpur High Court that they will call Irwan Serigar to give oral evidence as a third defence witness today.
With proceedings before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali to resume around 9am, Irwan Serigar’s testimony is expected to take the whole day as the witness undergoes an examination-in-chief by Najib’s defence team.
Irwan is also a co-accused with Najib in a separate RM6.6 billion International Petroleum Investment Corp (IPIC) criminal breach of trust (CBT) case, in which the first day of trial begins on March 2.
Yesterday, Najib wrapped up his testimony after being on the witness stand for 16 days.
The accused had been testifying since Dec 3 last year, when the defence stage of his trial, for abuse of power, CBT and laundering RM42 million from SRC International, began.
Yesterday, the former finance minister and advisor emeritus to SRC International, among others, had recited the sumpah laknat again from the dock.
He testified that the billions of ringgit in alleged Arab donations into his account had freed him from being indebted to anyone, especially local donors.
Najib also told the court that he was glad not to have been invited to 1MDB-linked fugitive Low Taek Jho or Jho Low’s lavish parties.
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