Deputy public prosecutor Afif Ali said they would present documentary evidence and call witnesses before the court to prove their case against the former Johor Bahru MP.
Shahrir was charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (Amla), with receiving money linked to 1MDB.
In his opening remarks, Afif said Shahrir received and cashed a RM1 million cheque from former prime minister Najib Razak in November 2013 but failed to declare it as income.
Shahrir had, on Jan 21, 2020, pleaded not guilty to the money laundering charge at the sessions court. The case was subsequently transferred to the High Court.
A total of 19 witnesses are expected to testify in the trial.
The first witness to take the stand, Parliament’s senior assistant administrative officer Rosli Mat Jinun, told the court about the monthly allowances Shahrir received as an MP between 2013 and 2015.
The allowances included his allowance as MP of RM6,508.59, secretarial allowance (RM1,500), phone allowance (RM900), driver’s allowance (RM1,200), travel allowance (RM1,500) and special payment (RM1,500).
Rosli said that in 2015, the MP’s allowance was adjusted to RM16,000, while the secretarial and driver’s allowances were increased to RM2,500 and RM1,500 respectively. Shahrir also received a petrol and toll allowance of RM1,800 a month.
Asked by Shahrir’s lawyer Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin as to whether the monthly allowances were taxable, Rosli said some were taxable but others were not.
“The monthly MP’s allowance is exempted (from tax),” he said, adding he was not certain about the other allowances but that there was a list of taxable and non-taxable allowances.
Firoz asked Rosli to produce the list on Thursday.
The lawyer then asked whether the allowances that Rosli mentioned from 2013 to 2018 covered Shahrir’s allowances in the years 1978 to 1980 when he served as a parliamentary secretary.
Rosli said he did not have that information, adding that payments regarding Shahrir’s duty as parliamentary secretary were managed by the Prime Minister’s Department.
The hearing continues before High Court judge Jamil Hussin.