Charges In Najib's 1MDB-related Corruption Case Are Defective, Court Heard

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The defence in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's corruption trial has submitted 2,500 pages of arguments for the former prime minister's case related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at the High Court here.

Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said due to overwhelming evidence, the extensive submission is crucial to emphasise their point on why the court should consider their arguments thoroughly. 

"This is to show that the charges are defective, especially the four principal charges. 

"The charges suffer from defects such as multiplicity and duplicity, which lead to ambiguity," Muhammad Shafee said before beginning his submission before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.

Najib, 71, faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The former Pekan MP allegedly committed the corruption offences at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad branch on Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Ceylon, between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014.

He is charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same act.

The former prime minister and finance minister faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

For the money laundering charges, Najib is accused of committing the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013.

All these charges are under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM5 million and imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.

-- BERNAMA