KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has arrived in the courtroom at level four of the Kuala Lumpur court complex here for his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Having spent two nights in prison after the Federal Court maintained his conviction and 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine sentencing in his separate SRC case, Najib walked into the courtroom at 10.40am for the 1MDB trial in a dark blue suit with pinstripes, a light blue shirt and blue-and-red striped tie.
He was not handcuffed when he walked in holding an A4-sized document with what appeared to be pink covers, and nodded to those in the public gallery.
He then sat down in the wooden dock where there were two cushions already placed for his seat and back.
A number of uniformed prison officers were sighted within the courtroom when he walked in, apart from the usual police officers stationed in the courtroom.
Today is the first time that Najib is attending one of his criminal trials since his imprisonment over the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd, which is a government-owned company which was briefly parked under 1MDB in the past.
In the 1MDB trial, Najib is facing 25 charges over the alleged misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds, namely four abuse of power charges and 21 money laundering charges.
The trial started at about 10.42am, shortly after Najib walked in to the courtroom and the accused's dock.
The 1MDB prosecution team's tables were as usual virtually covered by stacks of documents which are used as evidence in the trial, with boxes of other court documents also seen in the room.
The courtroom was fully occupied by lawyers, prison and police officers, Najib's staff and supporters, as well as media personnel, all complying with social distancing rules and holding entry passes. Police officers stood guard outside the courtroom door and carried out security checks on those who entered.
At about 8.30am, Najib had arrived at the court complex in a convoy with police outriders on four motorcycles, several patrol cars and three jeeps with heavily tinted windows.
Instead of walking up the main entrance at the ground floor of the Kuala Lumpur court complex where photographers from the media were waiting, Najib is believed to have entered the court complex from another entrance through the car park.
Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa was seen arriving at the Kuala Lumpur court complex at 9.30am, and was seen entering the courtroom at 12.02pm and the attached room where Najib was at.
Najib’s wife Datin Rosmah Mansor was seen arriving at the court complex at around 12.22pm and was seen outside the courtroom about two minutes later and is also believed to have entered the attached room.
Multiple uniformed prison officers have been seen guarding the room where Najib was placed in when he was not in the courtroom.
MORE TO COME
