KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak had sought evidence from a United States court to bolster his defence in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial at the risk of implicating himself, the High Court told.
Najib, 71, testified that it would have been "totally insane" for him to attempt the evidence if he did not believe it would exonerate him.
"If I were complicit in the defrauding of 1MDB, it would have been totally insane for me to ask for this evidence from the courts, because that would implicate me. I would be insane to have done it," he said here on Monday.
Instead of seeking for the evidence, the former prime minister said it would be "logical" for him to suppress the evidence if he did not believe it would support his defence.
"I want the evidence to be presented in court because I feel totally vindicated. Insya Allah if the evidence is tabled, I feel confident I would be exonerated," he said.
Najib was referring to the letters sent by his lawyers to judges in the United States Southern and Eastern District Court in New York on March 14, 2021.
He claimed that evidence beneficial to his case was mentioned by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner during his testimony in Roger Ng's trial, which revealed key details about the duo's alleged roles in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
On Oct 30, Najib was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on four counts of using his position to obtain RM2.28bil gratification from 1MDB's funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.
He is testifying on the sixth day of the defence trial.
The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
