In a significant development in one of the world's largest financial scandals, the presiding judge in former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's ongoing 1MDB trial delivered a scathing critique of his defence. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, during a nearly three-hour summation at the High Court on Friday, firmly rejected Najib's assertion that he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
Judge Dismisses Key Defence Arguments
Judge Sequerah explicitly connected the 72-year-old former leader to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, who is at the centre of the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The judge stated that Najib used Low as a "proxy or agent" in the state fund's affairs. He dismissed suggestions that officials below Najib conspired against him without his knowledge, calling such claims realms of "pure fantasy."
The court also rejected Najib's long-standing "Arab donation" defence, which claimed that millions of dollars deposited into his personal bank accounts were legitimate donations from the Saudi royal family. Judge Sequerah emphasised the credibility of prosecution witnesses and pointed to the "cold hard facts" showing Low's involvement in critical 1MDB transactions and his "obvious proximity and relationship" with Najib.
The Charges and Political Repercussions
Friday's proceedings relate to charges filed in 2018, where Najib faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving approximately 2.2 billion ringgit ($544 million) linked to 1MDB. No verdict has been delivered yet; the court adjourned shortly after noon Kuala Lumpur time and was scheduled to resume after 3 p.m. Najib, who has consistently denied all wrongdoing, retains the right to appeal any potential guilty verdict.
An adverse ruling could severely diminish Najib's prospects for a political comeback. However, he remains an influential figure within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The party's secretary-general hinted this week at a potential review of its support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, following public comments from the coalition's largest member, the Democratic Action Party, about Najib's recent legal setbacks.
Background of the Global Scandal
The 1MDB fund was established during Najib's premiership before collapsing in a scandal that spanned continents from Singapore to Switzerland. Global investigations allege that about $4.5 billion was misappropriated from the fund. The scandal ensnared a Grammy-winning rapper and a high-profile banker, with probes revealing details of lavish Hollywood deals and parties attended by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, lost power in the 2018 general election. He has been in jail since 2022 after being convicted in a separate 1MDB-related case for criminal breach of trust and abuse of power. His original sentence was halved to six years following a royal pardon in early 2024, with a scheduled release in 2028. Just this Monday, he lost a bid to serve the remainder of that sentence under house arrest.
Judge Sequerah concluded that the attempt by the accused to distance himself from Jho Low "rang hollow" in light of overwhelming evidence, noting that Najib was "no country bumpkin" but a man of superior intelligence and impeccable political pedigree.
