Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed trial Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that former 1MDB chief executive officer Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman received a message from his friend when the court stood down for a break.
“Hazem met his friend on Monday. They were seated 2m apart but then their meeting was held for over an hour.
“The prosecution seeks the court’s direction on whether we should continue the proceedings today or stop now,” he said.
Akram said if the court insisted on proceeding, the prosecution would be in a difficult position to prepare another witness to testify.
Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told the court they “ought not to take the risk”.
Sequerah then said “it is not prudent to take the risk and we don’t know if Hazem is asymptomatic”.
The judge adjourned the hearing and fixed May 3 for its resumption.
“Will the prosecution be able to inform the court of Hazem’s test result?” Sequerah asked.
In response, Akram said the prosecution will inform the court of the result as soon as possible.
Najib is standing trial on 25 charges for abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
Earlier, Hazem was questioned by co-counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed on his responsibility as 1MDB’s then CEO in ensuring that Malaysia and Abu Dhabi fulfilled their obligations in their 2013 joint venture.
Wan Aizuddin pointed out that only 1MDB raised US$3 billion on its part for the joint venture while Abu Dhabi did not do so.
Hazem said the joint venture exercise was initiated by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, adding that “it was run by Jho Low”.
“I don’t think he was interested in the joint venture in the first place,” he said.
Wan Aizuddin then said he could not help but to put a “blunt question” to Hazem on whether there was a change, besides an increase in salary, in his job scope when he was promoted as CEO in 2013.
“My job covered the whole thing (in running 1MDB),” the witness replied.
Wan Aizuddin: You worked as a managing director at Sime Darby Auto Connexion. You made executive decisions and then briefed the board of directors for their approval?
Hazem: Yes.
Wan Aizuddin: Did you abandon this duty when you were 1MDB’s CEO?
Hazem: 1MDB is a different creature from other companies I have been in.