Najib ordered to enter defence in RM42m SRC corruption trial

KUALA LUMPUR,. Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must enter his defence and answer to charges over RM42 million misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd, the High Court ruled today.

High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said the prosecution successfully proved prima facie against Najib, who is also Pekan MP, on all of his seven charges.

“A prima facie case has been made out for each of the charges. As such I now call on the accused to enter defence for all the seven charges,” he said while delivering his decision.

With a prima facie established against him, Najib has three options to make his defence — by sworn evidence from the witness stand where he will be subjected to cross-examination; by unsworn statement from the accused dock, or remaining silent.

Out of the seven charges levelled against Najib, the Pekan MP is accused of committing three counts of criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, and a separate charge under an anti-corruption law of abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same RM42 million sum.

The remaining three of the seven charges are for allegedly money-laundering the same total sum of RM42 million.

Najib’s SRC International trial began on April 3 this year with the prosecution calling 57 witnesses to the stand.