Najib Razak Ordered to Defend in 1MDB Case

Malaysia's High Court has ordered former Prime Minister Najib Razak to enter his defense in a corruption trial related to the 1MDB scandal, where over $4.5 billion was allegedly misappropriated. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that the prosecution had sufficiently established a case against Najib on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. The charges stem from allegations that Najib diverted more than $700 million from the state fund into his personal accounts between 2011 and 2014. Evidence presented included witness testimony contradicting Najib's claims that the funds were donations from the Saudi royal family. Najib, who is currently imprisoned and has been battling numerous legal challenges since his electoral defeat in 2018, expressed disappointment with the ruling but vowed to fight the charges. The trial is set to resume on December 2, following more than 230 days of hearings involving 50 witnesses since it began in 2019.