KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s trial at the high court here over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal and his appeal relating to the SRC International Sdn Bhd case at the Court of Appeal have been deferred, as one of the former prime minister’s lawyers is under Covid-19 quarantine.
The matter was confirmed by counsel Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee in a WhatsApp message to reporters today.
“Both cases have to be vacated this week because a key member of our team has to undergo testing and quarantine due to being in significant close contact with a number of Covid-19 patients.
“Considering that the rest of the team have been working closely with the lawyer, the necessary precautions need to be taken.”
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib said via WhatsApp that the defence team applied for the postponement last Friday.
“They sent a letter to the court on Friday evening,” he said, adding that high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the defence’s application.
The defence was supposed to cross-examine former 1MDB chief executive Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, 49, who is the 10th prosecution witness, today.
He first took the stand last September.
Najib, 67, 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 sum.
In the SRC International case, he is appealing against the high court’s decision to sentence him to 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine after finding him guilty on seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and power abuse, involving RM42 million in the entity’s funds.
His appeal hearing in this case is fixed to continue on Thursday. – Bernama, May 3, 2021
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