New 'Man On The Run' documentary contempt of court, High Court told

KUALA LUMPUR: The Netflix documentary "Man On The Run" which focuses on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal became a hot topic at Datuk Seri Najib Razak's corruption trial on Monday (Jan 8).

The documentary was raised when the defence demanded for the "contemptuous" show to be taken off the streaming platform.

At the outset of the trial here on Monday, Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said to High Court judge Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the documentary was sub judice and contempt of court.

The show first aired in cinemas in Singapore and was released on Netflix last Friday (Jan 7) and features interviews with politicians and personalities like former Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Additionally, the 98-minute-long documentary also features interviews with former Damansara MP Tony Pua, whistleblower Xavier Andre Justo and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown among others.

Najib was also interviewed in the documentary prior to his incarceration.

Muhammad Shafee said Najib instructed him to file contempt proceedings against Thomas and file a legal action against Rewcastle-Brown over their statements in the documentary.

"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Home Ministry have the authority to take it (the documentary) off the air," the lawyer said.

Najib, 70, is on trial for 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.

The hearing continues this afternoon.

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