KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak denied taking a selfie in court while his case was going on this morning.
Instead, the former prime minister said he had merely used his handphone as a mirror.
“I used it as a mirror to check on my personal appearance,” he said.
The issue concerning Najib allegedly taking a selfie while seated in the dock was raised by Deputy public prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram when the trial reconvened after the lunch break.
He said the prosecution had been alerted that there were stories going around that the accused had taken a selfie while the proceedings were on.
He said the court should warn the accused and everyone else that taking pictures was not allowed.
At this point, Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah jumped up and said the defence too was angered by the news report.
He produced a copy of the story which had been uploaded on the website of a local news agency before angrily pointing at the reporter who had written it.
“This reporter is seated in the back, behind my client.
“Despite this, he managed to conclude that Najib took a selfie and looked sad while doing it.
“I have spoken to Najib and he has denied taking a selfie. He was just using his phone as a mirror,” he said.
Shafee said the court should admonish the reporter for the fake news.
He said such stories were extremely prejudicial to his client, and lamented that it was not the first time such a thing had happened.
Shafee then asked the court’s permission for Najib to explain what had actually happened.
After Najib finished telling why he had used his phone, Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said he accepted the explanation.
He, however, emphasised that the taking of pictures and any form of recording while court was in session was totally prohibited.
“Anyone caught doing so will be dealt with seriously as it borders on contempt,” he said before ordering the next witness to be called.
Najib is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and one count of abuse of power over funds amounting to RM42 million linked to SRC International.
He is also facing three money laundering charges over the same fund.
He faces up to 20 years’ jail and a fine for the offences.