NAJIB Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial has been adjourned after the high court was informed that the former prime minister’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was ill.

Shafee is down with a throat infection and has been given medical leave until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram also informed the court that the prosecution witness, former 1MDB chief Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi is still ill and has extended his medical leave until tomorrow.

Presiding judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah then adjourned today’s hearing, adding that he intends to keep the case management dates on December 13.

This is because the 1MDB audit report tampering case will begin on Monday, where Najib and former 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy are charged jointly.

Earlier, defence counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammad told the court that Shafee was examined at a medical centre in Damansara yesterday where he was diagnosed with “severe throat infection”.

“The reason we only communicated this situation to the court this morning… was because yesterday, the counsel was contemplating coming to court today, but the senior counsel was still very much ill.”

Today’s hearing will likely be the last involving the 1MDB trial, where Najib faces 25 criminal charges in relation RM2.28 billion in public funds.

Sequerah will have to set further hearing dates on December 13, likely for next year, and to ensure they do not clash with the SRC International hearing, which is set to begin on December 3 and run until December 19.

Subject to SRC International trial, which is in the defence stage, Najib’s 1MDB trial is tentatively set to run from January 6 to 9.

On Monday, the 1MDB trial was adjourned after Shahrol informed the court that he was down with the flu.

Proceedings also adjourned after an hour to allow another court to order Najib to enter his defence.

Najib is on trial on four counts of power abuse to enrich himself with RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 counts of laundering the same amount. – November 13, 2019.