KUALA Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today adjourned the trial of Najib Razak in connection with 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore, after the former prime minister’s Covid-19 status showed “yellow” on MySejahtera.

The judge said he would decide whether the trial could resume tomorrow with the virtual appearance of the accused.

Najib is barred from the court as a “person under surveillance” even though he tested negative for Covid-19 today.

Defence lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh had informed the court of this morning’s test results as well as the results of yesterday’s PCR test, which were also negative.

“The result is the same (negative). I checked the Health Ministry’s guidelines. If you are a casual contact or close contact, it appears that the quarantine is for 10 days.

“They are expected to (obey the quarantine rules)... it’s a social responsibility,” Hariharan told the court.

The 12th and 13th prosecution witnesses – former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir and former 1MDB director Ismee Ismail – were scheduled to be cross-examined by the defence today.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib had asked the court to consider conducting the trial remotely, while Hariharan objected to Akram’s suggestion.

Hariharan said whether a hearing can be run online depends on the type of proceedings and its urgency.

The lawyer argued that it was important for cross-examinations involving witnesses to be done physically. Furthermore, he added, Azmi, was a critical witness.

He said this in comparing Najib’s hybrid SRC application hearing and the delivery of the decision on his appeal in the case last week that was only about applying the law to existing facts and submissions to the court.

Najib, 68, is facing 25 charges of abuse of power and money-laundering regarding RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The Pekan MP faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. –  December 13, 2021.