Friday 29 Mar 2024
By
main news image

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 10): The 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-Tanore trial has been adjourned this morning as former 1MDB chief executive officer (CEO) Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman was unwell.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustafa P Kunyalam informed the court that Hazem was unwell and had a fever, so he may not be able to attend the trial today.

In response, High Court judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah instructed Hazem to undergo a swab test and utilise all the resources at his disposal, to ensure that he is not infected by Covid-19.

Following that, the judge had asked the prosecution to call up their next witness. Mustafa then said they needed some time to alert the 11th prosecution witness, former deputy chief secretary to the Cabinet Tan Sri Mazidah Abdul Majid, for her to come to court.

As such, the court session is postponed until 1pm today for the next witness to take the stand.

Hazem began reading his witness statement on Sept 14, 2020 — after the defence failed in its bid to drop some parts of his testimony — following almost a year-long testimony by his predecessor Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi. Hazem is currently still being cross-examined by the defence.

Yesterday, Hazem testified on the power wielded by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, over the whole operation at 1MDB. He said Jho Low could solely decide who was going to be the next CEO of the fund, and also elaborated on how he had kept his name out of any official business regarding the state investment arm.

In the 1MDB-Tanore trial, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is charged with four counts of power abuse to enrich himself with RM2.3 billion from 1MDB, and 21 counts of laundering the same amount. He faces up to 20 years' imprisonment if convicted.

The Edge is covering the trial live here.

Users of The Edge Markets app may tap here to access the live report.

Edited ByLam Jian Wyn
      Print
      Text Size
      Share