Najib hospitalised, 1MDB trial vacated

1MDB Trial | Najib Abdul Razak was warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) yesterday due to a blood pressure-related condition.

As a result, the former prime minister’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial this morning before the Kuala Lumpur High Court has been vacated.

During open-court proceedings before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah confirmed that the former finance minister was hospitalised.

“Najib has been taken ill. He is warded in HKL.

“I was told at 7.30am and 9.30am, the likelihood of running certain tests would take a few more days.

“But they have not said the number of days,” Shafee said, adding that Najib would be transferred later from HKL to the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam said that the prosecution has no objection against the defence’s application to vacate today’s proceedings.

Sequerah then allowed the trial to be vacated and for the matter to be called up tomorrow afternoon to update the court on the accused’s condition.

When met by the media after proceedings, Shafee said Najib’s blood pressure underwent fluctuation for no apparent reason, hence why he is warded for further observation and treatment.

Yesterday, the prosecution informed the court that Najib’s health was quite bad and he needed to see a doctor, causing proceedings to end early just after midday.

Separately yesterday, Najib's special officer Muhamad Mukhlis Maghribi revealed that doctors at HKL performed a scope on the former premier and discovered multiple new ulcers, a recurring problem since 15 years ago.

He said the doctors also performed a biopsy which led to some bleeding and several ulcers had to be clipped to stop the bleeding.

Embezzlement charges

Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion from 1MDB.

The Pekan MP was alleged to have committed four counts of corruption at AmIslamic Bank Berhad’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014.

On the 21 money laundering charges, Najib was purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013.

The prosecution contended that the wrongdoing at 1MDB was carried out by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and several others, with Najib’s blessings.

The accused’s defence team, however, claimed the former premier and finance minister had no knowledge of the crime perpetrated at 1MDB and the embezzlement was solely masterminded by Low and other members of the fund’s management.

Both 1MDB and SRC International are fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).

Najib also used to be the chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers and served as adviser emeritus to SRC International.

He is serving a 12-year jail sentence, after the Federal Court on Aug 23 dismissed his appeal against the SRC International conviction over seven criminal charges, as well as the custodial term and RM210 million fine in lieu of an additional five years in jail.

Following this, it was reported on Sept 4 that Najib was hospitalised at HKL.

He was then discharged and managed to attend the ongoing RM2.28 billion 1MDB graft trial.

Yesterday on social media, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa raised concern over her father’s health as he was allegedly discharged from hospital despite new ulcers being purportedly found.

In response, Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah denied the claims by the accused’s family, stating that the former premier was in good health when he was previously discharged.

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