News by Ahmad Naqib Idris

Addressing the defence's assertion that Najib had no knowledge of the going-ons in his AmBank accounts, appointed prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram told the High Court that the evidence demonstrated otherwise.

He said that based on the BlackBerry Messenger transcripts adduced as evidence, Jho Low had full knowledge of Najib's spending pattern and the amounts that the then prime minister was about to spend.

At first, the prosecution in Najib's SRC case wanted the three money laundering charges involving RM27 million to be tried together with the former premier's seven other charges involving RM42 million in SRC, but the plan was changed due to a procedural issue.

In his submission today, lawyer Harvinderjit Singh claimed the prosecution had been pivoting its case since the start of the trial, and that its latest pivot was that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), Najib's former private secretary Datuk Azlin Alias and former SRC managing director and CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, were tasked with putting money into the former premier's account.

Shahrol was responding to Najib’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s suggestion that the events from 1MDB’s initial investment into the 1MDB-PSI joint venture up to the sale of the stake in PetroSaudi Oil Services Ltd (PSOSL) was a purposely planned and elaborate scam.

Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said that while he understands the judge is bound by the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP), the lawyer said he cannot perform under current circumstances.

During cross-examination, the accused Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked Shahrol whether he knew the reason for the termination of Ernst & Young (EY) as 1MDB's auditor. He noted that EY lasted "hardly a year" as the fund’s auditor.

Lead Deputy Public Prosecutor in the trial, Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, said he intends to initiate the proceedings because an article quoting Najib in March contained serious allegations.

Riza, who is the stepson of the accused, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, will be added to the witness list.

"To move a vote of no confidence is the right of every MP irrespective of whether he thinks he is going to win or lose. When we expose the wrongdoing of the government, although some say we would not have majority, good sense will prevail.”

On Feb 24, the ruler said Dr Mahathir had come to meet him, and the King asked the then premier to not step down from his post, but Dr Mahathir was adamant about his decision.