News by Timothy Achariam

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had used part of the US$3 billion raised by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) — initially intended for the development of the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) — to acquire land in Ayer Itam, Penang as part of Umno’s campaigning leading up to the 2013 General Elections (GE13), the High Court heard today. According to former 1MDB chief executive officer Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, who is currently testifying as the 10th prosecution witness in the 1MDB-Tanore trial, the land was to be utilised to build an affordable housing development.

Last week, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah said that 24 pages out of the over 100 pages containing Mohd Hazem's witness statement were hearsay and should be inadmissible in court.

Justice Sequerah made his ruling today after two and a half hours of submissions from both parties.

High Court judge Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali also found the former premier not to be remorseful over the charges he (Najib) is facing.

The DAP secretary-general claimed that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was unprofessional for leaking the information that he will be facing new charges to the press before he was notified on the matter.

The two charges under Section 403 of the Penal Code are for dishonest misappropriation of property.

Lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah insisted today that the court should rule on the allegation that Mohd Hazem's witness statement was hearsay. He cited a case law which ruled that issues of hearsay must be dealt with by the judge when they arise and not at the end of the case.

1MDB's former CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who has been a witness in the trial since last year, is coming to the tail end of his cross-examination today by Najib’s defence team, led by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Zahid, 67, is facing 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Deloitte’s lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar informed the court that both parties have decided not to commence oral submissions, and instead will rely on their written submissions, which have already been handed to the judge.