The witness, Eliza Elias, 44, who is also Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd’s vice-president (marketing and ecosystem development), read the witness statement before judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman.

Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, in his argument, said the evidence presented by Eliza through her witness statement was also seen as being unrelated to the murder case.

“According to paragraph nine (in the witness statement), she said Nazrin told her there were items in his house which were bought abroad — an iPad and laptop that were damaged.

“In paragraph seven, the witness stated that Nazrin’s son had spent the night at Nazrin’s house but did not like the house. He was there because he did not want to offend Nazrin.

“These facts (as stated in witness statement) have nothing to do with the case (Nazrin’s murder). They are also not related to that case. I don’t see what they have to do with the case. She obviously heard them from Nazrin or his son,” he said.

Shafee said Eliza, through her witness statement, also stated that Nazrin had told her that he had used his salary to pay rent, child expenses and credit cards. These were also not related to the murder case.

“If I do cross-examination, the witness can say that (the information in her witness statement) are what Nazrin had told her,” he said.

In her statement, Eliza, among others, also stated that she had known Nazrin since 2006, that they had worked together in a company before joining Cradle Fund. She also related the story of her former employer not being a hot-tempered person but being firm, as well as about Nazrin’s married life.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah, in his argument, defended the witness’ statement by saying that all the evidence was factual on what Nazrin had told Eliza, apart from showing the relationship between the two.

“These are facts that the witness said Nazrin told her. It is also about the relationship between Nazrin and the people in his house. It is direct evidence. The court can accept these facts, depending on other evidence.”

Judge Karim then ordered that further evidence by the witness be temporarily adjourned for the defence to submit an objection to the court against her witness statement.

On March 12, 2019, Nazrin’s wife Samirah Muzaffar, 45, a former senior executive at the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation, and two teenagers, aged 17 and 14, together with an Indonesian, Eka Wahyu Lestari, still at large, were charged with Nazrin’s murder.

They were accused of committing the act at a house in Mutiara Damansara between 11.30pm on June 13 and 4am on June 14, 2018.

The trial continues on Oct 16.