Najib’s 1MDB Trial: No Show by Accused

1334
- Advertisement - [resads_adspot id="2"]

The Pekan MP is at Parliament.

2.32pm: Court is in session.

2.33pm: The accused Najib Razak is not present.

The former prime minister has to be at Parliament to deliver a speech.

Mukhriz Hazim/Malaysiakini

Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informs the court that Najib’s speaking slot at Parliament has been delayed.

According to Shafee, Najib was initially slotted to speak between 11am and 12 noon during the parliamentary debate on Budget 2020.

However, Najib’s slot got displaced by speeches by other parliamentarians, including PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who is Port Dickson MP.

“He is raising some very critical issues in Parliament today, and that has been prepared since the past two weeks. It is not easy to get 20 to 30 minutes speech (slot) unless you sneak in (during the) budget debate. This is the budget debate,” Shafee said.

The lawyer claimed that Najib had prior to this made an application to the Dewan Rakyat speaker to slot him at 4.30pm so that he can attend the trial, but it was not fulfilled.

“He made an application in Parliament two weeks ago. But he got to know his slot a day before I told Yang Arif.

“If not, he would have applied to Yang Arif earlier (to vacate today’s hearing session).”

Yesterday, Shafee had made a request to the court for today’s session to start in the afternoon as he has to be at the Federal Court in the morning for another matter.

He also informed the court that Najib would have to be present in Parliament to deliver his speech today, scheduled at 11am.

Meanwhile, lead deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram objected to the application by the defence to postpone today’s hearing.

Sri Ram told the court that it was not enough reason for Najib to be absent from his trial just because he could not give up his slot at Parliament.

He said the prosecution had also brought other witnesses on standby to testify as they were not sure when the defence would complete their cross-examination on former 1MDB CEO, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who is the ninth prosecution witness.

Sri Ram: I would be most grateful that this is the last episode of such a thing happening.

Shafee says Najib should be allowed to carry out his parliamentary duties.

2.43pm: Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah says he does not want to give the impression that the court wants to turn down requests to attend Parliament.

“But he said 2.30pm he would be here, on that basis I agreed,” says Sequerah.

Shafee says Najib will be in court tomorrow at 9.30am.

Sequerah: But how do we ensure that such a similar situation does not repeat?

Shafee says today’s situation is uncommon.

Shafee: Yang Ariff has governed this trial very well. We are progressing very well.

Shafee says the defence expects will conclude with ex-1MDB CEO Shahrol next week.

He also says the witness is considered a pivotal one and he expects the trial to proceed more quickly through the prosecution witnesses, except for a handful.

2.48pm: Sequerah allows today’s hearing to adjourn to tomorrow 9.30am.

Sequerah: Let it be said that this is the last time that such a situation happened.

Shafee apologises again.

“My client feels very bad because he did say he would be here.”


Earlier reports:

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