KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s defence team in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial at the High Court was told off by the presiding judge over their line of questioning which seemed to be “going in circles”.

       Lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram first raised his annoyance towards the questions posed to former 1MDB non-executive director Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, who was being cross-examined by Najib’s lawyer Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh, and told the defence to do better to save the court’s time.

       “My Lord, what is the relevance of this question? I have been very patient, if it’s going to be suggested, with all the documents put to him, there must be some relevance to the question,” Sri Ram said here on Tuesday (March 22).

       The question, he said, had been posed to a previous witness, former 1MDB CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who had already answered the questions.

       “So I will be very grateful if my learned friend can explain to us and the court the relevance of the questions,” Sri Ram added.

       In the cross-examination, Hariharan was asking Ismee about events that involved Shahrol and former 1MDB executive director Casey Tang.

       Hariharan said the relevance of the questions was to show that Shahrol and Tang were the principal persons who represented the 1MDB management in that particular transaction and they were ones who disobeyed the board of directors’ decision.

       The lawyer then pursued his cross-examination, asking the witness about a joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) called Project Aria.

       However, before the witness could answer, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the answer was already on the meeting document.

       “I don’t see any end in sight for the witness in the foreseeable future if it continues like this.

       “Can we bring matters to a conclusion?” the judge said.

       Justice Sequerah also told the defence that they could change the questioning by putting their suggestions in a straightforward manner for Ismee to agree or disagree instead of repeating contents already stated in the documents.

       He said the line of questioning seems to be “going around in circles” and the defence should just “go for the jugular” with its questions.

       “Just confront him (Ismee) with what you want to put as your case and leave the rest for your submission,” the judge said.

       Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah later said they took note of the judge’s point but defended the line of questioning, saying that they needed to show how his client ended up in the dock when the 1MDB management was the real culprit in the case.

       “This is a very complicated case. It is not an open and shut case,” he added.

       Najib, 69, faces 25 charges in total – four for abuse of power that allegedly brought him the financial benefit to the tune of RM2.28bil; and 21 for money laundering involving the same amount of money.

       He faces imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

       The hearing continues before Justice Sequerah tomorrow (March 23).