KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 24): The trial judge in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd case involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has cautioned media to ensure proper perspective in their reporting of MACC investigating officer Nur Aida Arifin's testimony, after Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah again objected to a portal’s report of her testimony.

Shafee said opinions or conclusions on the veracity of the evidence should be made by the trial judge, Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

Shafee said that his colleague Tania Scivetti had made an objection to Nur Aida’s testimony that the former prime minister had not allowed 1MDB’s CEO at the time to access US$3 billion (RM14.2 billion) of funds raised by 1MDB to develop the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX).

However, the senior lawyer complained that the portal’s report did not note the objection made, and this may give the impression that the statement made by Nur Aida was true.

“This is unfair and jaundiced reporting that is unbecoming of the writer as the writer merely quoted the witness (Nur Aida) on what she said,” Shafee said, pointing out that he had complained about this from the first day of her testimony beginning this month.

He said that he may take action for contempt or for a gag order against reporters in a separate room where they are following the trial.

“If reporters cannot behave themselves and become impartial in their reporting then they could not be involved in correspondence,” Shafee said.

This led Collin, who is a Court of Appeal judge presiding over the trial at the High Court, to caution reporters of proper perspective in their reports.

“Obviously, I (the court) cannot direct the manner they ought to report. However, the statement I can make (as a judge) is to give proper perspective that transpired in the trial. You (the media) ought to have placed the report in proper perspective and note the objection on the grounds of hearsay,” Collin reminded.

“This raises the believability or the veracity that is yet to be tested and that is a determination for me (the court) to make,” the judge added.

Since Nur Aida began to testify on Jan 2, Najib’s defence has continuously objected to her testimony on the basis that her conclusions amount to hearsay.