The Malaysian Insight

THE 1MDB trial was adjourned for the day when former prime minister Najib Razak was afflicted with conjunctivitis for the second time in less than a month. 

Lead defence lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told presiding judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that Najib succumbed to conjunctivitis again because of the poor air quality. 

“I had a call at 7.15am from my client (Najib) and his wife. Conjunctivitis has returned and I think it’s because of the outing that he went for, and the haze does not help (his condition),” said Shafee while addressing Sequerah today. 

Shafee said Najib has an appointment at 10.30am today with a specialist at the Gardens Mall in Mid Valley and assured Sequerah that he will present a medical report to the chambers on Najib’s condition. 

“Conjunctivitis is very contagious, I suppose tomorrow’s hearing is out of question,” Shafee said.

Yesterday, lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told Sequerah that they will be recalling five or six previous witnesses today for identification. 

“We cannot do the identification in absence of the accused. We have nothing to do but wait for the medical report,” Sri Ram told the court. 

Sequerah allowed the adjournment today but requested that proceedings take place on subsequent Fridays to replace the today’s loss.

“It is unfortunate… Maybe we can have proceedings on Fridays to accommodate the accused’s medical condition,” he said.

Shafee and Sri Ram both said they would not be able to make it as they have other clients.

Justice Sequerah said the court will see if Najib is better tomorrow to attend proceedings. 

If he is unable, then proceedings will resume next Tuesday as Monday is a public holiday. 

Seated in the public gallery today was Najib’s stepson and person of interest in the case, Riza Aziz. 

Today, Shafee was to continue cross-examining the eighth prosecution witness, Najib’s former special officer, Amhari Effendi Nazaruddin.

Yesterday, Amhari was questioned over his witness statement centred on fugitive financier Low Taek Jho or Jho Low. 

Najib is on trial for four counts of power of abuse to enrich himself with RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 counts of money-laundering. – September 11, 2019.