Najib’s 1MDB trial enters final stage as court begins hearing defence submissions today
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — The final defence submissions in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.3 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) misappropriation trial begin today at the High Court.
Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah has fixed two weeks for the hearing of submissions, from today until October 24, and to resume from October 27 to 31, according to BuletinTV3.
The submissions will be heard before the court decides whether the former prime minister will be convicted or acquitted.
If found guilty, Najib, who is also a former finance minister, faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of either five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 — whichever is higher.
On May 6, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah closed the defence’s case after the re-examination of the final witness, document forensic expert Tay Eue Kam.
The trial, which began on August 28, 2019, saw the prosecution close its case on May 30, 2024, after 233 hearing days involving 50 witnesses.
On October 30, 2024, the court ordered Najib to enter his defence, with proceedings beginning on December 2, 2024, and concluding on May 6 this year. During that period, the defence called 26 witnesses over 58 days of hearings.
Najib, 71, faces four charges of using his position to receive bribes totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, Jalan Raja Chulan, between February 24, 2011, and December 19, 2014. He is charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
For the 21 money-laundering charges, Najib allegedly committed the offences at the same bank between March 22 and August 30, 2013, under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine of RM5 million, or both.
The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutors Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib and Kamal Baharin Omar.
Najib has been serving his prison sentence at Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after being convicted in a separate case involving the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Following his conviction, the former Pekan MP filed a royal pardon petition on September 2, 2022, which resulted in his 12-year prison sentence being reduced to six years and his fine lowered from RM210 million to RM50 million.
[Source: Malay Mail]
