Najib to meet Agong, SRC International trial adjourned  

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 4 years ago · Published on 25 Feb 2020 10:50AM · 6 Comments

Former prime minister Najib Razak has to attend a meeting at Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre this morning as the party attempts to gather the numbers to form the next government. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, February 25, 2020.

THE SRC International trial has been adjourned to tomorrow after the defence informed the court that a witness statement is not ready.

Najib Razak’s lawyer Farhan Read said Rosman Abdullah, who is linked to Putra Perdana Construction, will need another day to complete his witness statement with lawyers.

In addition, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the court that Najib will need to attend a meeting at Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre this morning, after which he will head to the palace to appear before the Agong.

Shafee did not specify the details of the meetings.

Justice Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then adjourned the proceedings to 2.30pm tomorrow.

Shafee said the defence also intends to call Malaysian Anti-Corruption chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, former MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad, Najib’s former private secretary Shukry Mohd Salleh and former attorney-general Apandi Ali to the stand.

Latheefa is called to testify on two audio recordings of phone conversations involving Najib that were released in January. The court previously allowed the defence access to the audio recordings.

Rosman was group managing director of construction firm Putrajaya Perdana Bhd. Najib and his alleged enablers are accused of funnelling hundreds of millions of ringgit from SRC International through subsidiaries owned by the company, including Putra Perdana Construction.

Yesterday, Najib’s lawyers said Australian handwriting expert Steven Strach will not testify.

Strach conducted examination of more than a dozen documents on February 11 and 12 but has yet to produce a report beyond a preliminary one, Shafee said in the letter hand-delivered to the high court’s deputy registrar Mahyudin Mohmad Som today.

Ad hoc deputy public prosecutor V. Sithambaram said yesterday several witnesses the prosecution could not trace or are unavailable.

They are former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, Low Taek Jho, Izzad Izzairi Fikri Rosman, Noriyah Ahmad, Zainal Abidin Osman and Jerome Lee Tak Loong.

Ahmad Norhisham Hassan and Najib’s former principal private secretary Azlin Alias are dead.

Najib faces seven criminal charges of having received RM42 million from SRC International between December 2014 and February 2015.

The trial resumes tomorrow. – February 25, 2020.

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • What r u up to

    Posted 4 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply

  • Wah special treatment for The Corrupt One. Like this there will never be Justice for Malaysia. The court case is surely turning into a farce.

    Posted 4 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • Corruption Elected by RAKYAT Learders can LOOT AS MUCH AS THEY WANT . No any COURT CAN CHARGE THEM.

    Posted 4 years ago by Lucky Boy · Reply

  • What if Botak Chin had requested an adjournment for him to meet his fellow gangland members?
    Would the Honorable judge have granted him his wishes?

    Posted 4 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • Agong summoned the Robber, is this a Shafee bluff to the judge ? In what capacity is the Robber ?

    Posted 4 years ago by S L · Reply

  • MI, your headline is misleading. Najib is only needed at PWTC to meet fellow UMNO members.
    Unless Shafee has produced a document that showed conclusive evidence that Najib had been summoned to the Palace, there is nothing to show that Najib, a mere ordinary MP had royal instructions to appear.
    So what was the judge working on? Shafee's stories?

    Posted 4 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply