By Rozanna Latiff
KUALALUMPUR – Malaysian prosecutors on Friday wrapped up their arguments in opposition to former premier Najib Razak’s ultimate bid to overturn a 12-year jail sentence for corruption, saying he was conscious that he had obtained funds from an “illegal exercise.”
Najib’s legal professionals declined to current their case in court docket this week, citing inadequate time to organize. That they had submitted written arguments earlier than the proceedings started.
It's unclear how the Federal Courtroom will proceed when it resumes on Tuesday. It may probably both ship its verdict or set a brand new date for its determination.
Najib, 69, was convicted in July 2020 by a decrease court docket for felony breach of belief, abuse of energy, and cash laundering for illegally receiving about $10 million from a former unit of state fund 1Malaysia Improvement Berhad (1MDB).
Prosecutors have mentioned some $4.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB – co-founded by Najib as premier in 2009 – in a wide-ranging scandal that has implicated officers and monetary establishments all over the world.
An appellate court docket final yr upheld the responsible verdict in opposition to Najib however the former premier appealed once more to the Federal Courtroom, which started proceedings this week in what can be his ultimate attraction.
Najib, who faces a number of trials over the allegations, has pleaded not responsible to all expenses. His legal professionals have argued within the decrease courts that Najib was misled by 1MDB officers.
Najib “knew, or had purpose to imagine or had affordable suspicion that the monies that he obtained in his financial institution accounts had been proceeds from an illegal exercise,” lead prosecutor V. Sithambaram informed the court docket.
Najib had changed his authorized workforce simply three weeks earlier than his attraction started on Monday.
After the prosecution wrapped up its arguments, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat once more requested Najib’s lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to start his submissions on Tuesday.
Hisyam declined.
Najib and Hisyam declined to remark after the day’s proceedings.
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