Jailed Malaysian ex-PM Najib to take the stand in corruption case

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — 

A Malaysian tribunal ruled connected Wednesday jailed erstwhile Prime Minister Najib Razak volition person to support himself against much maltreatment of powerfulness and wealth laundering charges successful different proceedings implicit the multi-billion dollar ungraded astatine authorities money 1MDB.

Najib faces 4 charges of maltreatment of powerfulness and 21 charges of wealth laundering for allegedly receiving $526 cardinal from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He has pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Najib faces up to 20 years successful situation and fines up to 5 times the magnitude of funds progressive successful the offence.

Najib, 71, was sentenced to 12 years successful situation successful 2022 aft being recovered blameworthy of graft successful a separate 1MDB-linked case. The condemnation was aboriginal halved by a pardons committee chaired by Malaysia's king, with Najib acceptable to beryllium released successful August 2028.

Malaysian and U.S. investigators accidental astatine slightest $4.5 cardinal was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, a authorities money founded by Najib successful 2009 portion helium was premier.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled connected Wednesday that prosecutors had established a lawsuit against Najib connected 25 charges.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the charges filed against Najib were valid and close successful instrumentality and recovered each prosecution witnesses to beryllium credible.

Prosecutors had called connected 50 witnesses to springiness evidence, including erstwhile cardinal slope politician Zeti Akhtar Aziz, media reported.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who leads Najib's defence team, said the ex-premier was "extremely disappointed" by the ruling but was prepared to instrumentality the basal successful his ain defense.

"My lawsuit wants to beryllium cross-examined due to the fact that helium has thing to fear," Muhammad Shafee told reporters aft the tribunal ruling.

The defence plans to telephone connected 11 witnesses, helium said, adding that the proceedings volition resume connected Dec. 2.

Najib, who was voted retired successful 2018 aft 9 years successful power, issued a uncommon apology past week for his relation successful mishandling the 1MDB scandal.

Najib maintains helium had nary cognition of immoderate amerciable transfers from the authorities fund, saying helium was misled by others and believed that monies transferred into his idiosyncratic slope accounts were governmental donations from the Saudi royal family.

Investigators accidental much than $1 cardinal of 1MDB funds made its mode into Najib's idiosyncratic accounts, successful a globe-spanning strategy that erstwhile U.S. attorney-general Jeff Sessions has described arsenic "kleptocracy astatine its worst."

Najib's apology came conscionable days aft Malaysia said it would present a instrumentality allowing location apprehension for immoderate offences.

Najib has been pushing to service the remainder of his jailhouse condemnation astatine home, and is seeking a tribunal ruling to compel the authorities to corroborate the beingness of a royal bid that helium said accompanied the pardons board's determination and recommended location apprehension for him.

The authorities aboriginal denied the projected instrumentality was targeted towards Najib oregon to assistance different politicians accused of corruption to flight jail.