Attending Medical Officer Dr Hafiz Husni said under oath that the former Prime Minister suffers low blood pressure and pulse, as well as diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain, and is giving him medical leave for two days. However, the attending judge for the 1MDB trial will only accept leave for today (Tuesday)
KUALA LUMPUR – The ongoing 1MDB-Trial was given a standown this afternoon after the accused, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was experiencing severe pains in the abdomen, diarrhoea and low blood and pulse readings.
Attending Medical Officer attached to the Kajang Prison and sees to the former premier’s medical needs while incarcerated, Dr Hafiz Husni, told the court that as of early this morning, Najib has been experiencing diarrhoea and abdominal pains.
“I administered medication and oral rehydration salts, and as a result of the medication, the patient may feel sleepy, thus he is unable to sit through the trial.”
Dr Hafiz then said he would like to give Najib two days’ medical leave, but attending Judge Collin Sequerah could only grant a day’s leave for him to rest and to return to the courtroom at 9am on Wednesday morning.
1MDB Trial
The trial had earlier convened with prosecution witness, former 1MDB legal counsel, Jasmine Loo Ai Swan being cross-questioned by defence counsel, Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah about her role in giving the proper advisory to the then Board of Directors of 1MDB about the negotiations and deals that the company wishes to embark on. The Prime Minister, who was also the Minister of Finance and shareholder of 1MDB should be briefed too on the various acquisitions before penning his approval on the dotted line.
Apart from the Petro-Saudi joint-venture which was covered at length during the trial yesterday and was agreed that it was a fraud, there was another venture involving the pumping of funds to a Venezuelan outfit supposedly with drilling ships, but these were later found out to be relics, said Shafee.
He added that the reports on the variation and the validity of the project was fraudulent while no commercial exercise could have taken place then as the country was facing sanctions.
Shafee also denied key prosecution witness Jasmine Loo’s characterisation of the former prime minister as a “monster” who led the fund’s board of directors like “lambs” to a slaughterhouse.
Influenced
However, Loo reiterated that she was merely emphasising that the sovereign wealth fund’s board was influenced by Article 117 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) to refer to Najib as both prime minister and shareholder, courtesy of the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).
MOF Inc was fully owned by 1MDB when Najib was finance minister and chairperson of the fund’s board of advisers.
Article 117 states that the prime minister has the final say in the M&A amendments, or appointment and dismissal of directors and highest management of 1MDB.
It also states that any investment, financial and structuring decision involving the company’s interests closely related to any national interest, security and government policy, must obtain written approval from the prime minister.
During proceedings, Shafee was cross-examining Loo over her testimony on whether it was the board or Najib who was responsible for 1MDB deciding on investing billions of ringgit in deals that ultimately went nowhere and the money missing.
Shafee then asked the former 1MDB general-counsel to peruse a copy of Article 117, challenging her to show where it shows that 1MDB’s board blindly followed the will of Najib.
Shafee: Where is the inconsistency that made the prime minister (Najib) a monster and made him decide everything, and the board like lambs led to the slaughterhouse? Where does it say that?
Loo: Although it does not refer specifically in Article 117, in substance the individual is the same.
When Shafee claimed that contemporaneous documents from the period between 2010 and 2013 did not support the witness’ contention, Loo insisted she was merely speaking facts on what allegedly happened at the troubled wealth fund.
Criminal Conspiracy
“I put it to you that no legal counsel will be given 90 million unless you are personally involved in a criminal conspiracy of this nature!”
Shafee also told Loo that her involvement in all these deals was substantial and she should have been more discerning in her recommendations and conducted proper due diligence.
“I have a witness (whom I don’t wish to disclose the name now) who describes you as the Queen of Restructuring Deals.
“The King title is reserved for Jho Low, so you’re the Queen.” – NMH
Datin Hasnah is the co-founder and CEO of New Malaysia Herald based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With an extensive background in mass communication and journalism, she works on building up New Malaysia Herald and it’s partner sites. A tireless and passionate evangalist, she champions autism studies and support groups.
Datin Hasnah is also the Editor in Chief of New Malaysia Herald.
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