Ex-1MDB CEO not well, asks for a break.
9.15am: Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah enters the courtroom with his team as trial is about to start.
9.18am: Trial resumes with ninth prosecution witness former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi taking the stand.
9.20am: DPP Akram Gharib informs the court that Shahrol is unwell and has taken medications.
The counsel says that while the witness is fine to continue giving his testimony now, it is yet to be known how he would be later due to the medication.
Proceeding then resumes with Shafee continuing his cross-examination on Shahrol.
9.33am: Shafee asks Shahrol about the role of former CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil at 1MDB. Shafee asks him if he knew what Nik Faisal was earning.
Shahrol says he doesn’t know.
9.34am: Shahrol says Nik Faisal was appointed by Najib.
Shafee asks Shahrol if he has the appointment letter as the defence does not have it.
Shahrol says he will check with the investigators.
9.35am: The defence’s cross-examination on Shahrol delves into a presentation paper on PetroSaudi Oil Services Ltd (PSOSL) that was tabled to 1MDB board of directors in Jan 2011.
The court hears that PSOSL is a subsidiary of PetroSaudi International and owned by the same owners, namely Prince Turki and Tarek Obaid.
Shahrol testifies that the presentation paper, which was dated Dec 30, 2010, came about following the board’s instruction for 1MDB’s management to get more information on Petrosaudi International and its operations.
He says that the presentation, specifically on PSOSL, was mooted by the 1MDB chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.
9.44am: Shahrol says he had requested former 1MDB general counsel Jasmine Loo to work for the firm.
He says Low initially was not in favour of Loo’s role in 1MDB, but eventually allowed it.
9.45am: The court hears from Shahrol that a certain Ong Gim Huat, said to be an experienced real estate businessperson, was brought into the company’s board of directors to reflect then prime minister Najib’s 1Malaysia vision.
Shahrol says that there was a discussion between the original directors of 1MDB to bring in a non-bumiputera to reflect the vision.
He testifies that after this was when Jho Low recommended several names to Shahrol, including Ong.
Shahrol says Low claimed that he had cleared with Najib over bringing in Ong as a director in 1MDB.
According to the witness, Ong was also chosen because he was an independent businessperson and somebody outside the system.
Shahrol says that Low claimed that Najib had wanted someone with fresh way of looking into things to be in the board.
10.07am: Shafee calls time on the cross-examination. Najib will now head across the court complex to justice Nazlan’s court to hear the decision on the SRC International case.
12.35pm: Court resumes its session.
Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram tells the judge that the witness is not well, and he will need to recuperate for a day to give his full attention during the cross-examination.
Shahrol also tells the judge that he needs a break.
Sequerah allows for this.
1MDB trial is adjourned until Wednesday morning.
Earlier reports:
Nov 7, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 31
Nov 6, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 30
Nov 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 30
Nov 4, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 28
Nov 4, 1MDB Trial: Judge Reprimands Najib After Tg Piai Trip
Oct 31, Najib Calls in Sick with Swollen Eyes, 1MDB Trial Postponed Yet Again
Oct 30, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 27
Oct 29, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 26
Oct 24, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 25
Oct 24, Najib Asks Prosecution to Hand Over Justo’s Information Given to MACC
Oct 21, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 24
Oct 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 23
Oct 17, Jho Low Changed 1MDB Constitution to Give Najib Absolute Power
Oct 16, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 22
Oct 14, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 21
Oct 10, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 20
Oct 9, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 19
Oct 8, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 18
Oct 7, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 17
Oct 7, Some Umno People Envious of Jho Low-Najib Ties, Court Told
Oct 1, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 16
Oct 1, Arul Kanda Told Ex-1MDB CEO to Leave Country to Avoid PAC Meeting
Oct 1, Ex-1MDB CEO Paid RM99K Monthly, RM1.5M Bonus
Oct 1, Jho Low Helped Plan Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Trip to Sway Voters for GE13
Sept 30, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 15
Sept 30, Witness: Najib Used 1MDB to Raise Funds for GE13
Sept 26, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 14
Sept 26, Jho Low, Tim Leissner Played “Matchmaker” for Najib to Meet Goldman Sachs
Sept 26, US$9M Transferred from Jho Low’s Good Star to Riza Aziz’s Red Granite Pictures
Sept 26, Jho Low, Najib Faked Meeting Minutes to Move US$750M from 1MDB to PSI
Sept 26, Najib Agreed to 1MDB Borrowing RM3B from SOCSO to Lend to PetroSaudi
Sept 25, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 13
Sept 24, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 12
Sept 23, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 11
Sept 19, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day 10
Sept 18, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Nine
Sept 18, Najib’s Ex-Aide Led MACC to Raid on Jho Low’s Apartment
Sept 18, Najib’s 1MDB Trial Halted Briefly for Najib to See Eye Specialist
Sept 17, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Eight
Sept 17, Witness Identifies Riza Aziz, Arul Kanda and Five Others as Key Players in 1MDB Saga
Sept 17, Bono, Queen of Jordan, Rosmah Floated as Trustees for TIA
Sept 17, Witness Says 1MDB Najib’s Baby, Defence Claims It Was Terengganu Sultan’s Idea
Sept 11, Najib’s Eye Infection Halts 1MDB Trial
Sept 10, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Six
Sept 10, Rosmah Fond of Jho Low
Sept 10, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Jho Low Provided Scripted Responses to Deny His Involvement in 1MDB
Sept 10, Istana Negara Questioned Jho Low’s Role in 1MDB Predecessor TIA
Sept 5, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Five
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Judge Raps Shafee over Najib’s Tardiness
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Najib’s Ex-Aide Took US$200K Loan from Jho Low to Buy Property
Sept 5, 1MDB Trial: Najib’s Ex-Aide Accused of Lying
Sept 4, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Four
Sept 4, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Mudabala CEO Was Promised All Sorts of Things
Sept 4, Najib’s Ex-Aide, Jho Low on “Secret China Mission” to Bail Out 1MDB
Sept 4, Jho Low Ordered Najib’s Ex-Aides to Open Overseas Bank Accounts
Sept 3, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Three
Sept 3, Najib’s Ex-Aide: Jho Low Drew Out Wealth Fund Concept on Kitchen Whiteboard
Sept 3, Jho Low Gave Possibly Forged Letters from Saudi Arabia to Stop 1MDB Probe
Sept 3, Only Najib and Jho Low Knew “Full Picture” of 1MDB Plan
Sept 3, Jho Low in Najib’s Inner Circle
Aug 29, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day Two
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Day One
Aug 28, Shafee: Prove Najib Knew Arab Donation Letter Faked, Jho Low Is Najib’s Alter Ego
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Shafee Again Questions Sri Ram’s Appointment
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Gopal Sri Ram’s Full Opening Statement
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial: Prosecution to Show Saudi Donations a Sham
Aug 28, Najib’s 1 MDB Trial: Prosecution to Prove Jho Low Was Najib’s Alter Ego
Aug 28, Najib’s 1MDB Trial Begins