The legal clash between Datuk Seri Najib Razak's defence team and the prosecution reached new heights today, leading the court to step in and attempt to resolve the escalating tensions.
Najib's chief counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, persistently contended that the testimony provided by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior officer Nur Aida Arifin was hearsay. Shafee argued that Nur Aida drew unwarranted conclusions regarding the case.
In response, lead prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib defended the witness, highlighting that Nur Aida, as the investigating officer, was simply presenting the findings of her probe, not baseless assumptions.
Despite objections from Shafee throughout the 95-page statement reading by the 49th prosecution witness, Presiding Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the proceedings. He emphasized the need to either find a resolution or face an indefinite delay in the trial.
Consequently, Sequerah adjourned the proceedings, urging both legal teams to convene in chambers to find common ground.
Following this interruption, the trial resumed after the lunch break. Nur Aida continued her testimony, focusing on 1MDB's proposal to enter the energy sector and invest in independent power producers (IPPs).
She detailed how, in May 2010, former 1MDB CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi informed Najib about the company's energy sector venture and its intent to acquire Tanjong Energy Holdings Sdn Bhd. Nur Aida also mentioned fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho's involvement and his relay of positive feedback from Najib.
Shafee raised objections, citing hearsay, but Akram countered, referencing Shahrol's court testimony to support the statement.
The court clarified that part of Nur Aida's duty as an investigating officer-involved presenting Shahrol's court statements. Noting Shafee's objections in the record, the trial continued.
Najib faces charges of using his position to procure RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds, alongside 21 charges of money laundering involving the same sum.
The legal proceedings persist as the trial unfolds.
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