KUALA LUMPUR: The defence team's antics of making comments about Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption trial outside the court has not amused the prosecution.
Ad hoc lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram issued a stern warning against Najib's defence team for what he termed as slanderous remarks relating to the case proceedings.
Najib's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in a press conference yesterday claimed that the prosecution had suppressed evidence pertaining to the trial.
The senior lawyer also distributed a copy of the said letters bearing Abdulaziz Majid Al Saud's private office's letterhead addressed to Najib's house in Jalan Langgak Duta.
Shafee also distributed several pages of Najib's bank account statements used in the proceedings.
He claimed the prosecution had failed to disclose/deliver to the defence the details of five other subsequent transactions which the defence had obtained through their own investigation.
Sri Ram, who was furious with the statement, said it could be interpreted as a direct attack on the prosecution.
"All letters referred by Shafee were produced in the SRC International Sdn Bhd, which was dismissed by the trial judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who was then the High Court judge.
"The accused must conduct his trial in the court and not in public. It is not proper for me to respond to their arguments in public as well," he said.
He said the prosecution might ask the court to issue a gag order if the defence continued about the issue outside the courtroom.
Najib's counsel, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, objected Sri Ram's argument, stating that the letter touched nothing on the SRC International trial.
He said Shafee, who did not attend the proceedings today, would respond to the prosecution's complaint tomorrow.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.