Najib’s 1MDB trial: I cannot direct media what to report, it’s their prerogative - Judge

KUALA LUMPUR: The judge presiding in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial at the High Court here today said that he cannot direct the media on what manner they want to report the case, as it is their (press) prerogative.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, however, said he took note of the complaint made by the defence.

"Perhaps the reporting ought to have stated to place these things (objection) in proper perspective that it was said, that an objection was taken on grounds of hearsay...anything that I think perhaps will assuage your (the defence) concerns.

"With the objection taken, obviously the veracity has yet to be tested. In any event, that is a determination for me to make at the end of it (the trial)," said Justice Sequerah.

He said this after Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah complained to him about an article published by an online news portal this morning titled "Najib denied 1MDB CEO access to US$3bil in funds, court told", which he contended that the reporting was "totally unfair" and "completely jaundiced".

The article was based on several paragraphs from the witness statement of the 49th prosecution witness who is also the investigating officer of the case, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Senior Supt Nur Aida Arifin, 37, to which the defence objected.

"Of course, it is verbatimly correct but the reporting is totally unfair...in the article you will find that they merely quoted the witness which became the subject of objection.

"It is a lopsided reporting with no citation of the objection and therefore putting what the investigating officer to be in limbo as to the veracity. I mean, Yang Arif is yet to decide whether it can be believed or not," said Muhammad Shafee.

The senior lawyer then suggested that the judge could perhaps make a statement to the reporters covering the trial to be fair in reporting the case.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib said he had no comment on the matter.

The defence has been objecting to several paragraphs in Nur Aida's 95-page witness statement since the first day of her reading it out on Jan 2.

Most of the objections raised by Muhammad Shafee were related to Nur Aida's testimony where he claimed the MACC officer had drawn various of her own conclusions about the case in her witness statement.

Najib, 70, 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.

The hearing continues on Friday (Jan 26).

-- BERNAMA

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