Najib Razak's 1MDB corruption trial to proceed after judge finds charges valid

Six years after he was charged, jailed former Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak's corruption trial will be proceeding, The Star reported.

On Oct. 30, 2024, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur found the charges against Najib to be valid, after the prosecution had laid out its case.

"I find the charges fulfil all the legal criteria under the Criminal Procedure Code," the judge said. 

Najib has been called to enter his defence on four counts of abusing his position for the gratification of RM2.28 billion (S$690 million) via deposits from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and 21 counts of money laundering.

No more diarrhoea

The hearing for Najib's 1MDB corruption trial had previously been scheduled for May 9, 2023, and was then postponed as he was diagnosed with diarrhoea.

On Apr. 2, Najib was yet again diagnosed with diarrhoea, leading to the corruption trial having to be postponed once more.

Najib publicly apologises

On Oct. 24, Najib publicly apologised to all Malaysians over the 1MDB scandal.

In a Facebook statement shared on Oct. 24, Najib said he felt "hurt" every day knowing that it happened under his watch as the country's prime minister and finance minister.

His son, Nizar Najib, read out his statement in both English and Malay at a media conference at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex at 4pm.

Najib, who has been imprisoned for 26 months, wrote that he had decided to issue the statement after "much reflection" and recent developments involving the case.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim had also said on Oct. 25 that he "welcomes" his predecessor Najib Razak’s apology for the “1MDB fiasco”.

Top photo from Najib Razak/Facebook.