KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The trial of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds today has been suspended pending the recovery of his lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from illness.

Najib's other lawyer Alaistair Brandah Norman told the High Court this afternoon that Shafee is on a four-day medical leave.

"Unfortunately, and with regret, we have to inform Your Lordship that senior counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has taken ill this morning and has taken few days of leave for him to recover from his condition. I present this court with this medical leave for the following days, 6th being this day all the way until 9th October.

"As Yang Arif can see, the medical certificate is bereft of any particulars but I would like to inform this court that Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has been taken ill. He is down with a fever and a severe throat infection which disables him from addressing this court for purposes of cross-examination of witnesses that are to be called today, and this is also the case with the Court of Appeal matter that was initially fixed for today this morning," he said. Shafee was initially expected this afternoon to cross-examine AmBank's former group managing director Cheah Tek Kuang, who is the 39th prosecution witness in this trial. But this did not happen as Shafee is unwell.

Earlier today, Shafee did not appear at a Court of Appeal hearing as he was unwell, which resulted in his five clients --- including the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) --- being ordered by the court to pay RM5,000 in costs to the respondent Public Bank Bhd for the latest delay in that case.

Financial news portal The Edge reported Public Bank's lawyer Yoong Sin Min as having asked for the costs as it was the seventh postponement since Shafee's clients filed the appeal in 2019, with Yoong also noting that it was the second time Shafee had asked for postponement for personal reasons (having to be in US previously and being unwell today).

Najib, who was seen wearing a dark blue suit with a dark blue tie, attended the 1MDB trial today.

His 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to resume on October 11.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/10/06/najibs-1mdb-trial-on-pause-as-lead-defence-counsel-shafee-falls-sick-to-resume-oct-11/32041