LIVE Najib SRC trial: MACC chief, ex-MIC legal adviser summoned as defence witnesses tomorrow
LIVE DAY 85 | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 85 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings...
LIVE DAY 85 | The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 85 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- MACC chief commissioner and ex-MIC legal adviser summoned as defence witnesses tomorrow
- Prosecution tender Jakim's bulletin on Jamil Khir's whereabouts, defence objects
- Najib's whereabouts on Jan 11, 2010 still unverified
Thank you for following Malaysiakini's live report
5pm - Thank you for following our live report today.
Reporting by Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid. Photographs by Azneal Ishak.
If you like what we do, support independent media by joining our subscription programme for as low as RM0.55 a day. Details here.
MACC chief commissioner and ex-MIC legal adviser summoned as defence witnesses tomorrow
3.37pm - MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya and former MIC legal advisor Selva Mookiah would testify as defence witnesses in former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC International trial, the High Court hears.
Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (below) informs Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali of this at the end of today's proceedings this afternoon.
Shafee informs that Latheefa has been served with the subpoena which requires her to attend court tomorrow, while the defence would interview Selva tonight and then he (Selva) would take the witness stand tomorrow.
The veteran legal practitioner also says that the defence has a few more questions for re-examination of MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir tomorrow.
Nazlan then allows proceedings to adjourn for today and to continue tomorrow morning.
Prosecution tender Jakim's bulletin on Jamil Khir's whereabouts, defence objects
3pm - The prosecution tries to tender a Jakim bulletin that allegedly showed then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom's whereabouts on Jan 11, 2010.
However, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's defence team objects to the bid to tender it as an exhibit.
DPP V Sithambaram is trying to tender the document obtained by ninth defence witness, MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir.
Last week, Sithambaram had asked the witness to try obtain documents on the whereabouts of not only Najib but also Jamil Khir on Jan 11 2010.
In past proceedings, Jamil Khir testified being part of a Najib-led delegation to Saudi Arabia from Jan 11 to Jan 16 2010.
Jamil Khir had testified that during this visit, he was informed by Najib that then Saudi ruler King Abdullah had promised financial donation to Najib.
The first paragraph of the purported Jakim's bulletin, dated Feb 2010, allegedly stated that then minister Jamil had attended a programme for Ucapan Amanat (mandate speech) YB Menteri 2010 in Putrajaya on Jan 11 2010.
The bulletin allegedly stated that Jamil Khir gave a speech at the event attended by related agency heads.
However, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah objects to the prosecution's bid to tender it as an exhibit, arguing that the maker of the bulletin must be produced at court to confirm the authenticity of the bulletin first before the document can be admitted as exhibit.
Sithambaram then submits that the document was printed out from Jakim itself and attested to by one of the Jakim staff.
However, Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali orders for the document to be admitted as an Identification Document (ID) rather than exhibit.
This means that the document can only be referred to the witness without its contents being read out in court.
Najib's whereabouts on Jan 11, 2010 still unverified
2.45pm - Former MACC investigating officer into the RM2.6 billion donation issue, Mohd Nasharudin Amir, has yet to obtain documentation on Najib Abdul Razak's whereabouts on Jan 11, 2010.
This is revealed by the ninth defence witness, MACC assistant commissioner Nasharudin, during cross-examination by DPP V Sithambaram.
Nasharudin says he has yet to get the documentation from another MACC officer on the matter.
Last week, Sithambaram had asked Nasharudin to bring the documentation today to ascertain Najib's whereabouts on Jan 11, 2010.
Sithambaram (above) wanted Nasharudin to refer to the documentation to ascertain whether Najib was on an unofficial visit to Saudi Arabia or was he at the official launch of 1MDB's corporate headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on that date.
Previously, several defence witnesses testified that Najib was on a trip to Saudi Arabia from Jan 11 to 16 with Jan 11 being an unofficial visit. The official visit was from Jan 13 to 16.
Witnesses had alleged that Najib told them that then Saudi ruler King Abdullah promised him (Najib) financial aid during the January 2010 visit.
Court resumes after postponement
2.38pm - Najib's RM42 million SRC International trial resumes.
Trial postponed to this afternoon
10.15am - Former premier Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC International trial is postponed to 2.30pm this afternoon.
Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allows the application by DPP V Sithambaram.
The court is informed that this is because ninth defence witness, MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir, can only obtain relevant documentation by around after midday today.
The relevant documents are needed for Nasharudin to refer to when Sithambaram cross-examines the former over the whereabouts of Najib on Jan 11 2010.
Sithambaram is seeking to cross-examine Nasharudin on whether on Jan 11, 2010, that then-premier Najib was on an unofficial meeting with then Saudi ruler King Abdullah at Riyadh, or whether Najib was attending the launch of 1MDB corporate headquarters at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Proceedings begin as Najib enters the dock
10.08am - Former premier Najib Abdul Razak enters the dock as his RM42 million SRC International trial before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes.
Proceedings delayed as Shafee has to attend other cases
9.40am - Former premier Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC International trial will start a bit later this morning.
This is because his lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has to attend to two separate court proceedings this morning.
The first one, before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin, deals with Shafee's RM9.5 million money laundering case.
The second one is mention of Najib's RM2.28 billion 1MDB case before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
After those are settled Najib's RM42 million SRC trial before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali can commence.
The 85th day of Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC International trial today takes place a day after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin became Malaysia's eighth prime minister.
This is in contrast to former premier Najib's proceedings back on Thursday last week, where the prime minister then was Dr Mahathir Mohamad amidst a nationwide political tumult between rival blocs.
This morning's proceedings before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan also takes place three days after Tommy Thomas tendered his resignation as attorney-general.
When the trial resumes around 9am or so this morning, the prosecution is expected to continue questioning ninth defence witness, MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir over the whereabouts of accused Najib on Jan 11, 2010.
The prosecution is expected to ask Nasharudin to confirm whether on that date, Najib was part of a delegation to meet then Saudi Arabian ruler King Abdullah Abdulaziz al Saud at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, or that the accused was at the launch of the 1MDB corporate headquarters at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In past proceedings, defence witnesses like former Malaysian envoy to Saudi Arabia Syed Omar Syed Mohamad al Saggaf testified that Najib met King Abdullah in an unofficial meeting at Riyadh, on Jan 11, 2010.
Syed Omar had testified that not only he accompanied Najib in a delegation to Riyadh on that date, but on that same day that the former learned from the latter (Najib) that King Abdullah promised financial aid to the accused.
During proceedings on Thursday last week, the court among others heard from Nasharudin that an alleged Arab prince, through his attorney, confirmed the authenticity of four letters being relied on by Najib's defence as confirming that Arab royalty had given a donation to the accused.
During that same proceeding while under cross-examination by the prosecution, Nasharudin, who was a MACC investigating officer in the official probe of the RM2.6 billion donation to Najib, testified that it was not proper for the said attorney to sign a statement, on behalf of the Arab prince, to confirm the alleged Arab donation to the accused.
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.