News by Ahmad Naqib Idris

According to deputy public prosecutor and head of prosecution in the Attorney-General's Chambers Manoj Kurup, the amendments to be made are related to liability.

During the proceedings today, lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram told the court that the prosecution is amending a portion of the charge sheet which stated "before the audit report was finalised and tabled to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)" to "after the audit report was re-finalised and tabled to the PAC".

During cross-examination by lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today, Ali said he was surprised to learn that the NAD official had made an audio recording of the meeting, which was convened to discuss amendments to be made in the department's audit report on 1MDB.

Ali, who was testifying at the High Court today in the audit tampering trial of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Arul, said this when asked about his use of the word “mendesak” (to urge) in his witness statement.

Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah had earlier told the court of the defence’s application to recuse Sri Ram in the case. Shafee argued that the matter should be resolved first because if the court were to proceed with the trial, it would be as if the application is non-existent or trivialised.

A member of Najib's defence team came down with high fever and is undertaking Covid-19 testing.

Justice Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin said the prosecution had failed to show that the money, which had been frozen, was either wholly or partly from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, as the evidence showed many transactions going in and out of Yayasan PBAKM's account since the RM100,000 cheque was written on Oct 19, 2013.

In a statement, the lawyer said Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun needs to explain whether the charges made against the former Sabah chief minister on Nov 5, 2018, were baseless by law, or whether the discharge amounting to acquittal order made earlier today contradicts the previous findings of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

"What has happened to me and my family, although it was due to political differences, I take as a test from God."

"Following instructions from the AG's Chambers. The prosecution intends to withdraw all charges made against the accused," said deputy public prosecutor Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid.