Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial has been postponed today after the former prime minister’s 12-member legal team has self-quarantined due to suspected Covid-19 infection.
Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was said to have possibly been exposed to the virus from his sister-in-law at a kenduri last Saturday, lawyer Nor Farhah Mustaffa informed the Kuala Lumpur High Court this afternoon.
Shafee’s sister-in-law, Sirim consultant Sharina Hanur Haris, was said to be in close contact with confirmed infected Sirim company secretary Zehrina Waty Zainal recently.
The trial was last held on November 13, last year.
“The virus is spreading faster than the speed of this trial,” said judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The judge said he needed confirmation that Sharina has taken a verification test for the virus and a medical certificate that Shafee and his team had been ordered to self-quarantine.
“Unless I have both these letters latest by tomorrow morning, I don’t see any reason this trial should be postponed,” he told Farhah.
None of Shafee’s team was in court today.
“This is quite serious,” said lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, who added that he had been in close contact with two lawyers who have may been exposed to Covid-19.
Sri Ram said he is scheduled for a second test tomorrow.
The ninth defence witness, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, was supposed to continue his testimony today. The witness had testified on 22 hearing dates, 15 of which involved being cross-examined by the defence.
Najib, dressed in a grey suit, was in the public gallery along with his supporters today. He left without speaking to the press.
For the 1MDB trial, Najib faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The 66-year-old faces 20 years jail, if convicted. – TMI