KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today was told that a key witness in Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial, former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz will not be able to take the stand tomorrow as she is on medical leave (MC) for two days.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib informed Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah the highly anticipated witness in the trial was on MC due to high fever, vertigo and vomiting.
“I received a text message from the investigating officer (IO) around 11.56 am today informing that Tan Sri Zeti, whom I previously said would come tomorrow, had informed the IO, through her lawyer, that she is not well and is on medical leave for two days,” said Ahmad Akram.
Ahmad Akram also said he will provide the MC to the court later.
The DPP also informed the court another witness who is staying and working in Singapore will only be able to take the stand in early December and that the prosecution had arranged for 42nd prosecution witness, former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah to be called in tomorrow for cross-examination.
Last month, the prosecution said they will be calling Zeti as a prosecution witness in the trial after Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah posted a question against the 39th prosecution witness, former AmBank non-executive director Cheah Tek Kuang, 75, about the presence of the fugitive businessman, Low Taek Jho or Jho Low at Zeti’s house.
The court today also continued hearing submissions by Muhammad Shafee where he said an audio recording of an alleged conversation between the former premier and a leader from the Middle East was not legally obtained under Section 43 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.
“The evidence in question relates to four audio recordings of telephone conversations as well as transcripts between Najib and several other prominent individuals, where Section 43 applies.
“This has caused Datuk Seri Najib, apart from not knowing the identity of the individual who has authorised the interception of communication mandated under Section 43, he was also left in the dark and (in a) precarious position of not knowing the contents of the other recordings,” he said.
Judge Sequerah interjected, saying that the prosecution had not come forth and stated how the recording was obtained.
Muhammad Shafee said he would be surprised if the prosecution is willing to state the source explicitly as it will reveal the state of affairs in this country, in terms of special branch and wiretapping individuals.
“The person who recorded it must come here to identify the audio…but I don’t think he will ever come because it will be a confession because he was doing something that is not right,” Muhammad Shafee argued.
In response to this, Ahmad Akram said an IO from MACC will be called during the trial to identify the audio recording.
Earlier, Ahmad Akram informed the court that lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram is also on medical leave for three days due to fever and an infection and the senior DPP will be replying to Muhammad Shafee’s submission regarding the audio recording on another day.
The trial before Justice Sequerah continues tomorrow.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.-Bernama