Najib gets short break from 1MDB trial to attend BN meeting
BN adviser Najib Abdul Razak needs to attend a 10.30am meeting of the coalition’s leaders this morning over the issue of the appointment of a new prime minister.
As a result, the former prime minister’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption will be temporarily adjourned around 10.45am this morning to allow the accused to attend the meeting at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the temporary adjournment...
BN adviser Najib Abdul Razak needs to attend a 10.30am meeting of the coalition’s leaders this morning over the issue of the appointment of a new prime minister.
As a result, the former prime minister’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption will be temporarily adjourned around 10.45am this morning to allow the accused to attend the meeting at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the temporary adjournment application by Najib’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
The lawyer explained that Najib has to attend the meeting as he is the chairperson of BN’s board of advisers.
“My client as BN adviser will attend with (Umno president Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi), and (Umno deputy president Mohamad) Hasan, together with the rest of party leaders, to make a decision.
“This is my application to adjourn the trial at 10.30am (today) so he (Najib) could be there at PWTC,” Shafee said as Najib, the former Umno president, looked on from the dock.
However, Sequerah reminded parties that the court could only allow a temporary adjournment and that proceedings will resume at 2.30pm this afternoon.
“We (court) can accommodate, but we need to continue this afternoon.
“We need this case (trial) to move,” the judge said.
"I state for the record that I allow the (adjournment) request so that the accused could attend this particular meeting (at PWTC) only due to the peculiar circumstances of this country at this point in time.
"The importance of this meeting (at PWTC) is only because of that.
"(The court) does not wish to give the impression that meetings for other occasions can be allowed," Sequerah reiterated.
The trial has been ongoing since 2019, and faced numerous postponements caused by multiple events, such as the onset of the movement control order nationwide to curb the Covid-19 pandemic last year, and Najib’s legal teams undergoing self-quarantine following close contact with a Covid-19 positive persons.
Following Muhyiddin Yassin stepping down as prime minister and now currently acting as caretaker prime minister, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has directed all Members of Parliament to submit their choice of the new premier by 4pm today.
Over the past few days, there has been a flurry of meetings of top party leaders from both sides of the aisle to determine their choice of candidate to helm the country’s top post.
Among the potential prime minister candidate named are opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal, and former deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
