Kuala Lumpur - A bomb threat at a court complex in Kuala Lumpur
has prompted an evacuation and disrupted the corruption trial of
former prime minister Najib Razak, local media reported on Thursday.
Malaysian authorities received an anonymous tip-off earlier in the
day claiming that there was a bomb in the High Court complex at Jalan
Duta in Kuala Lumpur.
"He didn't introduce himself but relayed the information, claiming a
bomb was in court. That is all," police official
S Shanmugamoorthy was quoted as saying by local newspaper Malay
Mail.
Security personnel interrupted the court proceedings at around 12.30
pm (0830 GMT), ordering everyone present to evacuate the premises
and gather outside the main entrance. Najib was escorted out by
police.
A police bomb disposal unit arrived alongside sniffer dogs to scour
the premises for the exposive device, according to the Malay Mail. No
sign of the bomb has been found so far.
Riza Aziz, the stepson of former Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at a court in Kuala Lumpur. File picture: Lai Seng Sin/Reuters
Najib is standing trial for seven charges of abuse of power, money
laundering and criminal breach of trust for
allegedly misappropriating 42 million Malaysian ringgit (10.2 million
US dollars) from a subsidiary of state development fund 1Malaysia
Development Berhad (1MDB).