Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak arrived at the High Court on Thursday (Aug 25) morning for his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) embezzlement trial.
He is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes, totalling RM2.3 billion (US$513 million) in 1MDB funds, and also 21 charges of money laundering for the same funds.
This was his first appearance in public since being sent to Kajang Prison on Tuesday, after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal bid in the SRC International case.
According to Bernama, Najib, who was clad in a grey suit, arrived at the complex at 8.26am in a black sports utility vehicle escorted by police vehicles.
He then entered the courtroom, which has since been barricaded, Free Malaysia Today reported.
Sin Chew Daily also reported that Najib was not handcuffed.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday night, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib said that representatives from Najib’s legal team met with him in Kajang Prison.
“Daddy is in healthy condition and his fighting spirit is still strong. Daddy’s basic needs were provided for and daddy was getting used to his new route – different from bossku’s daily schedule that was always packed,” she wrote.
Bossku is Najib’s moniker. It means “my boss” in Malay slang.
She added: “Tomorrow, the whole family will be able to meet – daddy will be going to court for the 1MDB case trial … This is the first time we look forward to daddy’s presence in court because me and my family will be able to observe daddy’s condition, even though from afar.
“We would like to say thank you to the officers and guards at Kajang Prison for taking care of daddy.”
On Tuesday, the Federal Court dismissed Najib’s final appeal to overturn a 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine over seven charges in a case involving funds from SRC International.
The charges against Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, involved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015.
In addition to Thursday’s 1MDB trial, Najib still faces more pending court cases.
The former prime minister is facing yet another trial involving SRC International, where he is charged with three counts of money laundering totalling RM27 million.
Najib and former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah are also being jointly charged with six criminal breaches of trust, involving RM6.64 billion of government money when the former was the finance minister.
Finally, Najib faces another case of abuse of power where he was said to have used his position to tamper with the 1MDB final audit report, and ordered amendments to the report before it was presented to the Malaysian parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. CNA
