KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 -- A bomb threat briefly interrupted the trial of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, forcing the court where the hearing was held to be evacuated on Thursday.
Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Rusdi Mohd Isa confirmed that police received a call from a man around noon, who claimed there was a blast at the court complex.
"Action has been taken and there is no explosive material found," he said in a brief statement.
A police bomb disposal unit had combed the court building along with sniffer dogs but no explosives were found, with police allowing the public back into the court three hours later, with Najib's hearing continuing for another hour.
Najib is on trial for seven charges including criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving 42 million ringgit (10.3 million U.S. dollars) deposited into his personal bank account from SRC International, a former unit of state investment fund 1MDB.
He faces dozens of other charges over 1MDB along with his former deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi since the former ruling party United Malays National Organization (UMNO) lost power in the general election last May.