KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today adjourned Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial at 11.30 am for the former prime minister to see a specialist concerning his eye problems.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed an application by Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, to have the trial which entered its ninth day to be adjourned early and ordered for the proceeding to resume at 2 pm.
Earlier, Muhammad Shafee told the court that the eye problems his client was experiencing could have been due to current haze situation.
“I request for the court to allow my client to see a doctor for treatment. The symptoms are similar to conjunctivitis and I suspect it is caused by haze.
“He has to attend an appointment at the clinic around 11 am,” he said.
Muhammad Shafee said apart from watery eyes, his client also had runny nose and had to see a doctor to prevent it from worsening.
However, senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram suggested that the cross-examination on the eighth witness to be carried out without Najib’s presence but Muhammad Shafee replied that his client’s presence was needed during court proceedings.
The court then proceeded to hear evidence from Najib’s former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin who was cross-examined by Muhammad Shafee.
Najib, 66, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion in the 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same funds.
The Pekan MP was alleged to have committed four counts of bribery at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad Branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon here between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014 while all the money laundering charges between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013, were also at the same place.
— BERNAMA
