KUALA LUMPUR: Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) CEO Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman has refuted suggestions that his name was removed from a 1MDB lawsuit in a deal struck for his testimony against Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the trial, the High Court heard.

       The 10th prosecution witness went through intense grilling by Najib's lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, in the RM2.28bil 1MDB trial involving the former prime minister here on Tuesday (Aug 17).

       Muhammad Shafee was questioning the witness about a series of lawsuit - filed by 1MDB and its subsidiaries against the companies’ former top management in May - which was "miraculously" dropped in Mohd Hazem’s case.

       The lawyer referred to a news article by The Edge which reported that Mohd Hazem’s name, along with six other defendants, have been dropped from one of the 22 lawsuits.

       Muhammad Shafee: Your name has been miraculously removed as the defendant.

       Mohd Hazem: I read the article, yes.

       Muhammad Shafee: Have you seen the first writ (of summons) and the amended writ?

       Mohd Hazem: No.

       The witness agreed that not only his name was removed, other former directors’ names as well as former CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who is also a prosecution witness in the trial, have also been removed.

       Muhammad Shafee: And your name was removed without you doing anything?

       Mohd Hazem: Yes.

       The witness told the court that he did not know the reason behind the removal of his name in the lawsuit.

       Muhammad Shafee suggested that there had been a representation to the prosecution that “witnesses should not be sued because they have cooperated with the prosecution”.

       “No, I don’t know,” said Mohd Hazem.

       Muhammad Shafee: I put it to you, you were in fact very concerned over the lawsuit. You approached the prosecution and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and said that ‘this cannot go on’, as you have given evidence in favour of the prosecution and yet you were sued in a civil suit by the government.

       Mohd Hazem: I disagree.

       Muhammad Shafee: And you were given assurance that your name would be removed.

       Mohd Hazem: I disagree.

       The witness was also grilled by Muhammad Shafee on the “astronomical” bonus he received while leading the company.

       Apart from Mohd Hazem’s salary of more than RM90,000 monthly, Muhammad Shafee said the witness had also received RM2.7mil bonus alone for his “above expectation” performance as a CEO.

       Muhammad Shafee: Did you feel that this assessment of you was correct? Does this justify you receiving this bonus?

       Mohd Hazem: I don't know, they (remuneration committee) are the ones who decided this.

       The lawyer then thundered on saying that Mohd Hazem had no shame in receiving such a huge amount of bonus despite causing disasters to the company that was already going down the drain.

       At this point, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib stood up to object.

       “We are not deciding on the issue of morality. The line of questioning is not relevant to the charge.

       “The witness already answered, this (the bonus) is beyond him. It is not relevant to the case at all,” DPP Ahmad Akram said.

       Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah then asked the counsel if he would be content with making his point on the matter through submissions, but Muhammad Shafee replied that he was trying to prove that the witness was being inconsistent with his answer.

       Muhammad Shafee: The only reason you were shameless in receiving this money is because you were part and parcel of this scam with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (or Jho Low) together with Shahrol Azral, that's why you received the money.

       Mohd Hazem: No, I disagree.

       Najib, 68, is facing four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.28bil in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same money.

       The hearing continues on Wednesday (Aug 18).