Najib S 1mdb Trial To Resume After Friday Prayers But Court Rules Arab Donation Letters Were Forged

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PUTRAJAYA: The proceedings in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) graft trial are expected to continue after Friday prayers.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who has been delivering the decision since 9.30am, told parties that he needed another hour and a half to complete reading his decision.
Earlier, Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, asked the court for a short break after more than two hours into the proceedings.
Justice Sequerah agreed that the court had to break for Friday prayers but emphasised that he could not "put off" delivering the decision.
"I cannot put this off. I don't want to go to prayer time. I will resume after the break," he said.
The judge then instructed the prison officials to return Najib to the court after prayer.
Najib is facing four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil gratification from 1MDB's funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
The abuse of power offences were allegedly committed at an AmIslamic Bank Bhd branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.
Meanwhile, the money laundering offences were allegedly committed at the same location between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has dismissed the Arab donation letters presented by former Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's defence team in his 1MDB trial as "forgeries".
In reading out the court verdict this morning, judge Colin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that Najib’s summary of his own narrative in relation to the funds being Arab donations renders it implausible.
"Arab donation narrative is not meritorious. The Arab donation letters were forgeries, and the evidence pointed unmistakably to the fact that the monies were, in fact, derived from 1MDB funds.
"This court has found the Arab donation defence to be incapable of belief and has not succeeded in rebutting the presumption of gratification under Section 23 of the MACC Act," the judge said.
In January, Najib testified that the Arab donation into his private account did not violate the Code of Ethics for Members of Administration.
Former prime minister Najib Abdul RazakThe former Pekan MP told the High Court that this was why he did not disclose the alleged Saudi royal donation to the then-cabinet in 2013.
During the corruption trial on Jan 13, he explained that he only disclosed to the cabinet that the late Saudi monarch King Abdullah would support his administration without disclosing the donation in detail.
Najib also disputed that the four letters addressed to him carried a personal tone.

Najib’s 25 charges
Najib was accused of four counts of power abuse and 21 money laundering charges in 2018. The trial began the following year.
The former premier had allegedly used his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014, at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad branch on Jalan Raja Chulan in Bukit Ceylon.
For the 21 money laundering charges, he is accused of committing the offence at the same bank between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013.
His power abuse charge was framed under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law, carrying 20 years imprisonment and a fine of either five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Najib’s money laundering charges were framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act, which provides a maximum fine of RM5 million and imprisonment of up to five years or both.
He was ordered to defend himself against the charges on Oct 30, 2024, after Collin found the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him. 
Menawhile, the NST reported:
The High Court has dismissed Datuk Seri Najib Razak's claim that he was misled by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) management, ruling that he was fully aware of the company's dealings.
Presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Najib was not a country bumpkin, noting that he was then the prime minister, finance minister and chairman of 1MDB's board of advisers.
The court said Najib was aware when he rejected advice from former 1MDB chief executive Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and others regarding the company's dealings involving rogue financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.
Sequerah also rejected claims that Najib was focused solely on managing the country, stressing that he had instructed Low to accompany his former aide Datuk Amhari Effendi Nazaruddin on trips to Abu Dhabi and China.
"The inference here is that Low acted as Najib's proxy, conduit and agent. The argument by the defence that Najib was misled by 1MDB management is unmeritorious," he said.
Sequerah also highlighted testimony from former Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, who expressed concerns over 1MDB to Najib but was told not to worry about the company.
The court was adjourned for Friday prayers and will resume at 3pm.
(from Star, NST & Malaysiakini)
TO CONTINUE AFTER FRIDAY PRAYERS........

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