KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 17): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB-Tanore trial at the High Court here today was allowed to end early as he had to attend to parliamentary debates and voting. 

The trial will continue on Sept 1.

Najib, who is Member of Parliament for Pekan, had made an application through his lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to end the trial early today so that the former premier could fulfil his parliamentary obligations. 

The trial, which began at around 9.40am this morning, had ended at 11.15am after Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah consented to Najib’s request. 

Muhammad Shafee also asked the court to vacate Najib’s trial dates this week as Najib has other matters to attend to at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, which the judge allowed as well. 

In the 1MDB-Tanore trial, Najib is facing four counts of abuse of power for using his position as prime minister, finance minister and 1MDB board of advisers chairman to receive gratification worth RM2.28 billion and 21 counts of money laundering involving over RM4.3 billion.

Today's brief proceedings saw the defence cross-examine former 1MDB chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi.

Shahrol was testifying today on the last leg of his tenure with 1MDB as CEO before he was removed by Najib and replaced by Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman.

The Edge is covering the trial live here.

Users of The Edge Markets app may tap here to access the live report.