Judge reprimands Najib for skipping his 1MDB trial
The judge also tells the ex-prime minister’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, to ensure such an incident is not repeated.
KUALA LUMPUR: Trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today expressed his dissatisfaction and unhappiness over the accused, Najib Razak, being absent from the proceeding.
Sequerah hoped this episode would be the last in his court.
A criminal trial cannot proceed in the absence of the accused.
The judge had allowed Day 22 of the trial to begin at 2.30pm as the Pekan MP wanted to deliver his Budget 2020 speech in the Dewan Rakyat earlier in the day.
Yesterday Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, in requesting the case to begin in the afternoon, said his client was to speak in the house at 11.30am.
The case could not begin in the morning as Shafee was also in the Federal Court in the morning to represent Najib in response to a leave application by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.
In urging the judge to adjourn proceedings to tomorrow, Shafee said Najib was unable to attend court due to unavoidable circumstances.
“Najib’s slot to speak was taken over by Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Port Dickson). My client would like to convey his utmost apologies to this court and the prosecution,” he said.
Ad-hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said Najib’s absence is most unsatisfactory as the trial had been delayed, causing much inconvenience to witnesses.
“We have witnesses who are standing by as we do not know when the cross-examination will be completed,” he said.
Sri Ram said MPs could debate on the Budget speech on another day.
“Najib could have informed the speaker that he should be in court. There is no excuse for his absence,” he said .
Sri Ram, however, qualified himself that he was not suggesting that the judiciary should interfere in the affairs of the legislature.
Sequerah reminded Shafee that the hearing was scheduled in the afternoon to allow Najib to perform his duty as an elected representative.
The judge then told Shafee that the lawyer should ensure such an incident was not repeated.
The lawyer responded that since the proceeding began on Aug 28, it had been progressing without frequent adjournments.
“In fact, I am due for an eye operation. I have postponed it,” he said.
Hearing will continue tomorrow with 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi still on the stand to be cross-examined by Shafee.
Najib is facing 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds in his AmBank accounts.
He is accused of abusing his position to obtain RM2.28 billion in bribes in February 2011 and December 2014.
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He is also said to have transferred RM2.28 billion in illegal funds to his bank accounts and to have subsequently used the money.