Malaysia's jailed ex-leader Najib Razak began his defence Monday (Dec 2) against graft charges tied to more than US$500 million in alleged bribes and several counts of money laundering, saying they we

The former PM is serving a six-year prison sentence for stealing from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and faces more cases related to the 2018 election scandal.

Najib’s lead counsel Shafee Abdullah told Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah that his client has requested to the court that he read his 525-page witness statement. The witness statement is divided into two volumes due to its massive length.

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today finally started his defence in his trial over 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) RM2 billion

Najib and Irwan Serigar Abdullah had been charged with six counts of criminal breach of trust involving government funds worth 6.6 billion ringgit ($1.48 billion), which officials have said were related to a settlement agreement between 1MDB and Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

In September 2018, Najib, then aged 65, was charged with abusing his power in three roles – as prime minister, finance minister, and 1MDB’s board of advisers’ chairman – over 1MDB matters for his own financial benefit amounting to RM2.27 billion, as well as money laundering over RM2 billion of money belonging to 1MDB.

A Malaysian court on Wednesday allowed corruption charges in one of several cases linked to the scandal-wracked 1MDB sovereign wealth fund against jailed ex-prime minister Najib Razak to be dropped, his lawyer said.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is taking the stand at the High Court as the first defence witness in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) graft trial.