PUTRAJAYA: After 10 days of submissions, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s graft trial involving RM2.28bil linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has come to an end.
The hearing concluded after both the prosecution and defence wrapped up their submissions here yesterday.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who presided over the case, thanked the parties for assisting the court.
At the end of the proceedings, they informed the court that there were minor issues to be addressed in written submissions, as instructed by the court.
The hearing was initially scheduled to end last Friday, but the former premier’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah requested for an extension to complete his submissions.
Justice Sequerah will deliver the verdict on Dec 26, a day after Christmas.
The trial spanned 302 days, including three Saturdays.
The trial began on Aug 28, 2019 and 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.
Other 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 in gratification from 1MDB 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 has been serving a prison sentence since Aug 23, 2022 after being convicted in a separate criminal trial over the misappropriation of RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
