This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 12, 2020 - March 18, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi will return to the witness stand today to continue answering questions in the 1MDB-Tanore trial against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Shahrol testified as a prosecution witness in the trial in November last year. He served as the strategic development company’s chief between 2009 and 2013 and was a board member until 2016.

He will testify before High Court Judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah as the cross-examination by Najib’s lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah continues.

Shahrol previously took six days to read and explain his 270-page witness statement, during which time he testified how the decision-making in 1MDB was carried out when it conducted its business from 2009 to 2014.

From Oct 7 last year, Muhammad Shafee and other defence lawyers started their cross-examination of the ex-CEO of 1MDB.

The 1MDB-Tanore trial follows the conclusion of the defence stage of the trial involving RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds yesterday. It is scheduled to begin at 2.30pm.

On Jan 8, Justice Sequerah said he would not entertain any more postponements with regard to the proceedings as he fixed more dates for the trial.

Subsequent to today’s proceedings, the judge has locked in March 19 and 20, March 23 to 27, March 30 and 31, the whole month of April, May 4, as well as the whole month of June until October, including Fridays until 12.30pm for the 1MDB-Tanore trial’s hearing. This is with the exception of weekends and public holidays.

Najib is facing four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering involving a sum of more than RM2.28 billion of 1MDB funds.