Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to answer all criminal charges involving the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial debacle on Dec 2.
Earlier, presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered Najib to enter his defence on all charges after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the former prime minister.
Najib, 71, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Najib was given three choices: to remain silent; become his own defence witness and give his statement under oath from the witness stand; or give an unsworn statement from the dock.
He chose to testify from the witness stand for all four power abuse charges as well as for all 21 money laundering charges in the 1MDB trial.
While the trial judge was reading out the judgment, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa, and two of his sons, Datuk Mohamad Nizar, Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin were seen in the public gallery in the packed courtroom.
The 1MDB trial was initially scheduled to continue on November 18 until November 22, but Najib’s lawyers Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Tania Scivetti requested for additional time to be given to the defence team and suggested hearing resume on December 2.
Scivetti said the legal team would need to visit Najib in prison to get his instructions and to draft his witness statement; adding that they also need time to interview the other witnesses who will be testifying after their client.
Shafee said that it would be a “cumbersome” process as Najib is currently in prison and his lawyers could not bring all the documents there and would have to split the process of preparing Najib’s witness statement into several sessions.
As the prosecution indicated it has no objection to the defence’s request for extra time before Najib begins his defence, the trial judge allowed the request to continue the trial on December 2 instead. The judge also said the five hearing dates in November will have to be replaced with other dates.
The 1MDB trial now has 97 hearing dates scheduled from December 2 this year until November 2025, with trial dates for every month in this period except for July next year.
Previously, the prosecution said it would offer 49 witnesses to Najib if he was called to enter his defence.
Najib’s lawyers today did not say how many defence witnesses they would call.