KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is set to discover on December 26 whether he will be acquitted or found guilty of corruption charges over RM2.3 billion tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The Kuala Lumpur High Court, sitting at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, fixed the date for the decision at the end of the defence stage after hearing marathon submissions from both the prosecution and defence today.
Court of Appeal judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who presided over the trial, confirmed the decision date after lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah sought additional time to complete his arguments.
“I understand the submissions will continue on November 4.
“However, I must state now that I will deliver my decision on December 26 at 9am,” Justice Sequerah said, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.
During the proceedings, prosecutors argued that the former prime minister was the architect of the multibillion-ringgit scandal that drained 1MDB of public funds.
The defence, however, maintained that Najib had been misled by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.
Najib faces four counts of abuse of power involving RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering.
The High Court had earlier allocated nine days for closing submissions at the end of the defence case, which began on October 21.
