1MDB trial postponed as prosecution witnesses not ready, Shafee on MC

1MDB trial | Prosecutors were unable to get five witnesses ready on short notice for today’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial against Najib Abdul Razak, with two of the witnesses still overseas.

Coupled with the former prime minister’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah still on three-day medical leave (MC) following a dental procedure, the Kuala Lumpur High Court postponed the trial to Monday next week.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the prosecution did its best to call the five witnesses but that none of them could come as it was done on short notice.

“Two of them (witnesses) were overseas, and three others could not make it here on short notice given to them for various reasons,” Akram said.

The prosecutors, however, added that the 43rd prosecution witness, The Edge chairperson Tong Kooi Ong, is available to be cross-examined by the defence team.

At this juncture, Najib’s co-counsel Rahmat Hazlan informed that it would not be possible for the defence team to proceed with the cross-examination of Tong as Shafee (above) is still on medical leave today.

Rahmat said that Shafee is still suffering from pain in his gums.

“Only Shafee can cross-examine Tong but he is on MC. We can proceed on Monday with the cross-examination of Tong and other witnesses,” Rahmat said as Najib looked on from the dock.

Sequerah then adjourned trial to Monday next week.

Yesterday, Tong testified among others that Najib showed him the door in 2015 when he tried to warn the then prime minister and finance minister about the role that fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) played in the embezzlement of funds from 1MDB.

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

In regards to the four abuse of power charges, the incumbent Pekan MP was alleged to have committed the offences 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 counts, the former finance minister 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 Low and several others with Najib’s blessing.

However, the accused’s defence team claimed that Najib 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.

The BN advisory chairperson is serving a 12-year jail sentence after the Federal Court on Aug 23 dismissed his appeal against the RM42 million SRC International corruption case conviction.

Initially a subsidiary of 1MDB, SRC later became fully owned by MOF Inc. Najib also used to be adviser emeritus to SRC.

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