Latest news with #RM2.28bil
The Star
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Defence wraps up 1MDB misappropriation case
PUTRAJAYA: The defence in the case involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the misappropriation of RM2.28bil from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) officially closed its case after calling 26 witnesses. Lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the court that the defence had concluded its case following the testimony of its final witness, forensic document expert Tay Eue Kam. 'Yang Arif, we officially close our case after the 26th witness,' Muhammad Shafee told Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, the presiding judge, yesterday. Justice Sequerah scheduled Sept 30 for the submissions from both parties, with replies due by Oct 10. Oral submissions have also been set from Oct 21 to Oct 24 and from Oct 27 to Oct 31. 'I trust that the submissions will focus on the main issues raised by the defence. I do not need to give further instructions,' Justice Sequerah remarked. The prosecution's phase of the trial began on Aug 28, 2019 and concluded on May 30, 2024. Over 233 days, the prosecution called 50 witnesses to testify. On Oct 30 last year, the High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence, with Najib himself taking the stand as the first defence witness on Dec 2, 2024. The defence called 26 witnesses over 58 days. Among the witnesses were former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamarudin and Tengku Datuk Rahimah Sultan Mahmud, the sister of Terengganu's Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. Najib, 71, faces four charges of using his position to obtain gratification amounting to RM2.28bil in 1MDB funds at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad branch in Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014. He is charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, which carries a penalty under Section 24(1) of the same Act, including up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted. In addition, Najib faces 21 charges of money laundering for offences committed at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013. These charges fall under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum fine of RM5mil and up to five years' imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
1MDB trial: Defence closes its case, court sets Sept 30 for submissions
PUTRAJAYA: The defence in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case involving the misappropriation of RM2.28bil has closed its case after calling 26 witnesses. Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court that the final witness in its case was forensic document expert Tay Eue Kam. ALSO READ: 1MDB trial: Expert unable to verify Najib's signature on documents "Yang Arif, we have officially closed the case after our 26th witness," Shafee told presiding judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah here on Tuesday (May 6). Justice Sequerah thanked parties for assisting the High Court in the case. He then fixed Sept 30 for parties to make their submissions simultaneously, with replies due by Oct 10. The judge also fixed Oct 21 to 24 and Oct 27 to 31 for oral submissions before the court. "I trust that the submissions will focus on the main issues raised by the defence. I do not need to give further instructions. "All the hearing dates fixed prior to this are hereby vacated," Justice Sequerah said. ALSO READ: Ex-banker learnt from Jho Low about 1MDB being set up, court told The prosecution's trial began Aug 28, 2019 and its final day was on May 30 last year. A total of 50 prosecution witnesses were called to the stand over 233 days. On Oct 30, the High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence on the charges. Najib took the stand as the first defence witness on Dec 2. A total of 26 defence witnesses testified over 58 days. ALSO READ: 1MDB trial: Court clears Roger Ng to testify Defence witnesses included former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamarudin and the sister of Terengganu's Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Tengku Datuk Rahimah Sultan Mahmud. Najib, 71, faces 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 Star
06-05-2025
- The Star
Expert unsure if signatures were Najib's
PUTRAJAYA: There were dissimilarities between the signatures of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and those that appeared in photocopied government documents relating to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), the High Court was told. Forensic document examiner Tay Eue Kam, 59, testified that she had observed both the similarities and the differences of the specimens but her findings were inconclusive as she did not have the original documents. 'My opinion is inconclusive due to the existence of both similarities and differences. 'A conclusive determination would necessitate further assessments of the original document,' she said. Tay, who was under examination-in-chief by lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, is the 25th defence witness testifying in the former prime minister's RM2.28bil graft trial involving 1MDB here yesterday. The expert had analysed 31 specimen documents – including numerous bank cheques and government letters and memos – to identify whether Najib had indeed penned the signatures and notes in seven impugned documents in relation to the 1MDB trial. All the documents, however, were reproductions, not the originals. 'It has been established that examination can be conducted on good quality reproductions but poor quality reproductions present challenges in identifying some critical handwriting figures. 'While specific details such as connection, line quality, and variations in pen pressure within the signatures in the reproductions were not explicitly deciphered, their structural formation, key features, and orientation were subject to examination and analysis,' said Tay on her findings. Muhammad Shafee: Because it's a reproduction, from your experience, can the signature (in the impugned documents) be lifted and pasted? Tay: When we deal with reproductions, we cannot exclude that probability. Muhammad Shafee: How do you prove if they are lifted or not? Tay: It's not an easy answer. It's the way they do it. If they photocopy it... there will be lines erased. I have to compare it with the original. According to the witness, it was not easy to identify fabrication without original documents to compare it against. On Oct 30 last year, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on 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 hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.
The Star
05-05-2025
- The Star
1MDB trial: Expert unable to verify Najib's signature on documents
PUTRAJAYA: There were significant dissimilarities in signatures that appeared in government documents relating to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), purportedly by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the High Court was told. Forensic document examiner Tay Eue Kam, 59, testified that she had observed both similarities and differences in the specimens, but her findings came back inconclusive as there was an absence of the original documents in her study. "My opinion is inconclusive due to the existence of both similarities and differences. "A conclusive determination would necessitate further assessments of the original document," she told the High Court here on Monday (May 5). Tay, who was under an examination-in-chief by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, is the 25th defence witness testifying in the former prime minister's RM2.28bil graft trial involving 1MDB. The expert had analysed 31 specimen documents, including numerous bank cheques, government letters and memos, to determine whether Najib had indeed written notes and signed seven impugned documents in relation to the trial. All the documents, however, were reproductions of the originals. "It has been established that examination can be conducted on reproductions of good quality... (while) poor quality reproductions present challenges in identifying some critical handwriting figures. "While specific details such as connection, line quality and variations in pen pressure within the signatures in the reproductions were not explicitly deciphered, their structural formation, key features and orientation were subject to examination and analysis," Tay said of her inconclusive findings. Shafee: Because it's a reproduction, from your experience, can the signature (in the impugned documents) be lifted and pasted? Tay: When we deal with reproduction, we cannot exclude that probability. Shafee: How do you prove if they are lifted or not? Tay: It's not an easy answer. It's the way they do it. If they photocopy it... there will be lines erased. I have to compare it with the original. According to the witness, it was not easy to identify fabrication without the oiginal documents to compare. On Oct 30, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on 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 hearing continues before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Tuesday (May 6).
