Lack of clarity in Najib's interest in 1MDB - Defence

KUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s defence team contended today that the lack of clarity regarding his interest in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds posed a significant challenge in mounting an effective defence against the charges he faces in the RM2.3 billion corruption trial.

Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said this was due to the prosecution's failure to clearly define the personal interest or benefit that Najib allegedly had in the decisions related to the 1MDB funds, making it difficult to address the allegations and adequately cross-examine witnesses.

"The actual 'direct interest' underlying those decisions has been left for this court and the accused to wonder about.

"Here (in the current case), the prosecution, despite alluding to the existence of 'direct interest' in Najib's decisions in all the four charges, has failed to specify where the purported direct interest lies," Shafee said during his submission at the end of the prosecution’s case before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.

Najib, 71, faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad branch on Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.

He also faces 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount at the same bank between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013.

Najib is charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same act, and under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act.

The submission continues tomorrow. - BERNAMA