KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 23): Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is back on the witness stand today in what is likely to be the last of the prosecution's cross-examination.
Yesterday, ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram had informed Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who is presiding over the case, that he may be able to wrap up his cross-examination of Najib today.
Najib had taken the witness stand on Dec 18 last year.
Yesterday, the High Court allowed Najib to call Dr Steven J Starch, an Australian expert witness, to examine 13 questionable documents.
However, Justice Nazlan also allowed the prosecution to call any rebuttal witness if needed, as provided for under Section 425 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Najib also admitted yesterday that although he thwarted second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah from retrieving RM3.6 billion of SRC International Sdn Bhd's funds which were frozen at a bank in Switzerland, he himself did not have a plan to retrieve the money.
Najib also denied that the letters from Arab royalty which were sent to him in relation to the donations he received were faked.
He also agreed that he had asked former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah to expedite the first RM2 billion loan that Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) granted to SRC in 2011.
He then claimed that this was merely a request and not an instruction as KWAP could have disagreed with his suggestion.
Once Najib’s cross-examination is done, the defence led by Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah will ask any remaining follow-up questions and the witness will be released from the stand.
The Edge is reporting the proceedings of the SRC trial live.