PUTRAJAYA: There was no evidence to show that Datuk Seri Najib Razak had set foot at AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan as alleged in the four charges of power abuse against him in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), says his lawyer.
Lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin also argued that no witnesses were called to testify that Najib had used his influence at the bank.
“At this juncture, we invite this court to review and re-evaluate the four charges under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act filed by the prosecution in this case,” Wan Azwan Aiman said at the end of Najib’s defence case on charges of misappropriating RM2.28bil in 1MDB funds.
He also urged the court to consider the charges were bad in duplicity.
Wan Azwan Aiman said each of the charge contained dates, locations and specified multiple alleged wrongdoings.
“This is the very definition of duplicity, which the courts of this country have readily branded as illegal and unsalvageable,” he said.
Najib is facing 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.
The abuse of power offences were allegedly committed at an AmIslamic Bank Bhd branch, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.
Meanwhile, the money laundering offences were allegedly committed at the same location between March 22 and Aug 30, 2013.
Najib is currently serving his prison sentence since Aug 23, 2022 after being convicted in a separate criminal trial over the misappropriation of RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
The submissions resumes today before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
