KUALA LUMPUR - The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been postponed to Thursday following the death of lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram.

Monday was set for a continued hearing where prosecution witness Joanna Yu, who was Najib’s former relationship manager at AmBank, was supposed to take the stand.

But Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib asked High Court judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah for the proceedings to be adjourned in the light of Mr Sri Ram’s sudden demise.

He said Mr Sri Ram’s wake and cremation ceremony would be held on Tuesday.

“All of us in the prosecution team are seeking your permission to vacate the matter today and tomorrow to allow us to attend both functions (Mr Sri Ram’s wake and cremation).

“He was our boss, our team leader and he was like a father to all of us,” said the distraught prosecutor on Monday.

“We (also) humbly seek your lordship’s indulgence for an adjournment on the basis that the prosecution team would have to discuss the purpose of redistribution of the various focus of works vis-a-vis the witnesses,” DPP Ahmad Akram said.

Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court the defence had no objection to the adjournment.

“I would absolutely have no objection whatsoever,” he said.

Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee also extended his condolences to the prosecution team.

Justice Sequerah then allowed the adjournment.

“This trial will resume on Thursday with the continued cross-examination of Yu,” he said.

Najib, 70, is on trial for 25 charges in total.

Four of these are for abuse of power that allegedly brought him financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28 billion (S$706 million), and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK