Home Ministry seeks to quash Najib's subpoena on IGP

The Home Ministry will apply to quash the subpoena served by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to call Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain as a witness in his ongoing trial, the Kuala Lumpur High Court was told today.

Home Ministry legal adviser Ilmami Ahmad informed judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah (now a Court of Appeal judge) that although Najib’s legal team served the subpoena on April 14, no explanation was provided regarding the relevance of his testimony to the defence’s case.

“Therefore, we are requesting time to file an application against the subpoena,” he said.

Najib’s counsel, Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin, clarified that the defence intended to question Razarudin (above) regarding former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, as well as to seek an update on the status of three outstanding arrest warrants against 1MDB general counsel Jasmine Loo.

He added that the defence had been actively attempting to locate Ng, who was repatriated to Malaysia after being convicted in the US in connection with the 1MDB scandal, following previous statements by the IGP that Ng was in police custody.

“It is only fair that the IGP’s public statements regarding investigations into Jasmine Loo and Roger Ng be examined in court, as these matters are of significant public interest,” said Azwan.

During the course of the trial, it was revealed that both Ng and Loo were instrumental in assisting fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, in diverting billions of ringgit from the sovereign wealth fund.

In October 2023, Razarudin announced that Ng had been repatriated to Malaysia to assist in the ongoing 1MDB investigation.

Both Ng and Loo had fled the country following the fall of the BN government after the 2018 general election.

‘Stop wasting court’s time’

Meanwhile, Sequerah reminded all parties to avoid further delays, noting that the trial has now entered its seventh year.

He expressed concern over the timeline for completion, saying, “My priority is to see this trial concluded, and I was informed that it could be wrapped up by July”.

“This is an inefficient use of judicial time. You cannot hold the court ransom until these individuals are located and agree to testify. All parties must assist me in bringing this matter to a conclusion,” he stressed.

In response, Azwan said the defence was making every effort but faced repeated obstacles in gaining access to potential witnesses, noting that some were currently abroad and that responses from certain government agencies were still pending.

On Oct 30 last year, Sequerah ordered Najib to enter his defence after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.

Najib, 71, faces 25 charges, including four counts of abusing his position to accept RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The hearing resumes tomorrow.

- Bernama

'Dr M, Muhyiddin didn’t meddle with decision to charge Najib over 1MDB'

Jho Low's associate deposited cash into Najib's accounts: Witness

1MDB: Witness protection chief rebuffs Najib's subpoena

Najib had authority to reject 1MDB financial decisions, court told

'Dr M summoned police for 1MDB briefing 5 days after becoming PM'