A witness admitted that her statement was drafted without her presence and that it was only given to her at the last minute to be signed, without her having enough time to peruse it beforehand.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s second corruption trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds resumed at the High Court today.
The trial, originally slated to resume since Monday, was pushed back due to Najib’s final appeal at the Federal Court in the SRC International Berhad case.
Clad in a dark suit, Najib entered the courtroom at 10.50am under heavy security.
The former prime minister who was not handcuffed and appeared calm as he took a seat at the dock.
Several Prison Department officers in dark uniform and red berets, were seen inside the courtroom.
Several Najib supporters were also seen inside the public gallery.
No Umno senior politician was spotted in the room.
Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa arrived later and sat outside the courtroom. She was seen greeting her father inside the court holding room earlier.
Najib’s wife Datin Rosmah Mansor arrived at the court complex at around 12.22pm and was seen outside the courtroom about two minutes later. She was believed to have also entered the holding room.
Earlier, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was cross-examining Finance Ministry former deputy secretary-general (policy) Datuk Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa.
Siti told the High Court that she did not prepare her own witness statement used in the trial.
She said it was prepared by two subordinates and shown to her later.
Shafee had suggested that Siti did not know the full details of the statement.
“I was only shown the witness statement at the last minute. I was not given the opportunity to read the document in its entirety.
“I do not know whether the content in the document is within my knowledge. It was prepared by my staff without my presence,” she said.
The trial is heard before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.