News by Emir Zainul

"The Malaysian Bar is dismayed at the government’s delay in instituting a lockdown of the nation due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases."

According to Messr Shafee & Co counsel Noor Farhah Mustaffa, the whole 1MDB defence team has been instructed to self-quarantine as there is a risk that the coronavirus could spread.

Shahrol has been on the witness stand since September last year, when he took six days to read and explain his 270-page witness statement.

Courts usually give a one-month period for the two sides to prepare their written submissions after the defence case is closed.

Dzulkifli, 52, who later replaced Abu Kassim as MACC chief commissioner in 2016, said it was not proper for his predecessor to recommend charging the former premier as various statements from vital witnesses had not been recorded.

The defence witness told the court that the money flow chart was similar to the ones revealed by former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali at a press conference on Jan 26, 2016, announcing that Najib was cleared of any wrongdoing in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd scandals.

Speaking after proceedings of the SRC International trial yesterday, Shafee alleged that when the MACC wiretapped Najib, it ignored due process and did not follow the adequate approval processes.

Apandi said he did not see any wrongdoing on Najib’s part as the then prime minister. This, according to him, is because Najib had no knowledge of SRC money coming into his personal account.

However, the suggestion did not come through as then attorney-general (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was later removed from his position on July 27, 2015, about three weeks after the meeting. 

In a tense session of the SRC International case yesterday, Latheefa testified as a defence witness to ascertain the admissibility of the recordings in court.