Sri Ram was like a father to all of us: DPP

1MDB TRIAL | Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib described the late ad hoc 1MDB prosecution team leader Gopal Sri Ram as “like a father to all of us”.

The prosecutor told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today over the prosecution’s application to adjourn this morning’s scheduled continued hearing of the 1MDB corruption case against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

During proceedings before trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today, Akram said they seek the postponement because following the death of former federal court judge Sri Ram (above) yesterday, the prosecution team needs the adjournment to discuss among themselves the redistribution of work for the case.

The DPP said he also applies to adjourn the trial set for tomorrow and to only resume on Thursday this week, as the whole prosecution team wishes to attend the deceased’s wake event at Nirvana 2 Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning as well as the cremation at Shah Alam, Selangor, tomorrow afternoon.

“Gopal Sri Ram was our team leader and he was like a father to all of us. We would like to be there tomorrow for the wake as well as the cremation,” Akram said with a heavy voice.

Condolences

At this juncture, Najib’s lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court they have no objections to the adjournment, adding that they would like to extend their condolences to the prosecution team over Sri Ram’s passing.

Sequerah then allowed the bid to postpone the trial today and tomorrow and to resume on Thursday.

On Thursday, the defence is expected to resume their cross-examination of 41st prosecution witness Joanna Yu, the former relationship manager to Najib.

Yesterday at Gleneagles Hospital, Sri Ram passed away following admission there for treatment of a lung infection two weeks earlier.

Sri Ram's death attracted condolences from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as well as from every level of Malaysia's judiciary and legal fraternity.

Sri Ram, who was a lawyer in private practice, was in 2018 appointed as lead DPP by then attorney-general Tommy Thomas to lead the 1MDB prosecution against former finance minister Najib.

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

For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is 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, Najib is 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 and several others, with Najib’s blessing.

However, the accused’s defence team claimed Najib had no knowledge of the crime perpetrated at 1MDB and that Low, as well as other members of the fund’s management, had masterminded the embezzlement.

The Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc) is the full owner of 1MDB.

Najib also used to be the chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers.

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