PUTRAJAYA, Nov 4 — The High Court here has wrapped up the lengthy corruption and money-laundering trial of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, setting December 26 as the date to deliver its long-awaited verdict in the multibillion-ringgit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.
Presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah fixed the date after both the prosecution and defence completed their final oral submissions on Tuesday. Each side will file limited written responses on several outstanding technical matters before judgment is handed down.
The trial—initially projected to finish last week—was extended when Najib’s lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, sought additional time to complete the defence’s closing arguments. Proceedings ended amicably as the lawyers exchanged Christmas greetings with the judge.
The court saga, which began on August 28, 2019, has spanned more than five years and heard evidence from 50 prosecution and 26 defence witnesses. Najib, 72, faces four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering involving about RM 2.3 billion, allegedly deposited into his personal accounts between 2011 and 2014.
He is already serving a separate sentence at Kajang Prison following conviction in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case involving RM 42 million.