PUTRAJAYA: The High Court has fixed Dec 26 to deliver its decision on Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s graft trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.28bil from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah set the date yesterday although the defence team has yet to finish its closing submissions for the trial.
Earlier, Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah requested a time extension to complete the defence’s submissions.
Justice Sequerah then ordered the parties to resume and complete their submissions next Tuesday.
“I know the submissions will resume on Nov 4, but at this moment, I will deliver my decision on Dec 26, at 9am,” Justice Sequerah said.
The hearing spanned 302 days, including three Saturdays.
The prosecution’s trial began on Aug 28, 2019 and ended on May 30, 2024.
On Oct 30 last year, the High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence over the charges.
Najib took the stand as the first defence witness on Dec 2, 2024.
Defence witnesses included former 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamarudin and the sister of Terengganu’s Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Tengku Datuk Rahimah Sultan Mahmud.
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 at Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon in Kuala Lumpur 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.
