Najib’s lawyer decries ‘unfair media reporting’ of 1MDB trial
Published on: Friday, January 05, 2024
By:
FMT, Ho Kit Yen
Najib Razak is on trial for money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited in his bank accounts between 2011 and 2014. (Bernama pic)
Kuala Lumpur: Najib Razak’s legal team has complained to the High Court here about what it described as “unfair news reporting” of the former prime minister’s ongoing 1MDB case.
Lead counsel Shafee Abdullah told Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah today that some reports claimed that Najib received and used US$681 million linked to 1MDB to influence the 2013 general election.
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“It was never proven in court that the US$681 million was used to influence voters. (A sum of) US$620 million (from the total) had been returned to the sender (in the same year),” Shafee said.
He said his team is considering taking contempt proceedings against several media outlets for inaccurate reporting.
Shafee also complained that investigating officer Nur Aida Arifin had drawn various “conclusions” about the case in her witness statement.
He said the final outcome of the case ought to be determined by the presiding judge, and not by a witness in the proceedings.
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He said it was the obligation of the prosecution to remove hearsay content from Aida’s witness statement.
“I will be taking objections (against Aida’s witness statement). My client has been prejudiced,” he said.
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However deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib said Aida was merely making reference to a report lodged with MACC in 2015 where it was alleged that funds from 1MDB were used to buy votes during the 2013 general election.
“We (prosecution) cannot control what and how the media reports.
“What is important is that what she said in court will eventually become evidence,” he said.
Akram pointed out that MACC is duty-bound by the law not to disclose the identity of the real complainant.
“When it comes to filing a report (for the record) it will be done by an officer, not the complainant,” he said.
Akram also said he will undertake to make the necessary amendments to Aida’s witness statement, including by inserting references to documents to be adduced into evidence, by Jan 8.
Najib is standing trial for 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power charges over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited in his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
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