CONVICTED former prime minister Najib Razak’s latest trial in connection with 1MDB was cut short this morning to allow him to attend a Barisan Nasional meeting at PWTC to select the coalition’s choice for prime minister.

Judge Colin Lawrence Sequerah granted lawyer Mohd Shafee Abdullah’s request for an adjournment to the 10.45am hearing to allow Najib to attend the meeting at 11am.

“My client, as BN adviser, will attend with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, together with the rest of party leaders, to make a decision.

“This is my application to adjourn the trial today so he could be there at PWTC,” Shafee told the judge.

However, Sequerah only granted an adjournment for the morning session, stating that the trial would continue at 2.30pm this afternoon.

“We need the case to move,” he said.

“The importance of this (BN) meeting is the only reason I’m allowing this. I don’t want to give the impression that other meetings will be allowed, only due to the current situation.

“I will set the time to resume at 2.30pm. (If necessary), we will go beyond 5pm.

“This is a physical meeting. I hope that all the SOPs are followed so there is no other disruption to the trial,” said the judge.

Najib’s meeting at PWTC today is in response to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun’s instruction to lawmakers yesterday, that they sign statutory declarations to indicate their choice of prime minister and inform Istana Negara by 4pm today.

He said the letter has to be submitted through fax, email, or WhatsApp on or before the 4pm deadline.

Najib’s 1MDB trial finally resumed yesterday after more than two months since the previous hearing. The Pekan MP is facing four counts of abuse of power under the MACC act over RM2.28 million, which he is accused of pocketing by abusing his dual positions as prime minister and finance minister.

He is also facing 21 money-laundering charges in connection with the offences. – August 18, 2021.