KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption trial wrapped up today with the closure of the defence stage, after 33 days of court hearings and various adjournments at the High Court.

Najib’s final and 19th defence witness was Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigator Regjit Singh who testified in court over the veracity of the recorded statement belonging to former SRC International chief executive Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil which he had obtained as a recording officer in October 2015.

Najib, the country’s first-ever former prime minister to be accused of abusing his position to steal and misuse public money while in office, had entered his defence on December 3, 2019 as the first witness.

A total of 19 defence witnesses were called to the stand to support Najib’s defence, including former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, former MACC chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and former minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

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With the defence announcing the closure of its case, High Court Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali then fixed April 21 for both the defence and prosecution to submit their written submissions.

 “The defence must file in their written submissions by April 21 and the prosecution must file in their replies by May 5,” he said.

Mohd Nazlan also fixed May 12-13,15 and 18 for both defence and prosecution to present their oral submissions.

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He also said the dates for his verdict announcement on the case will be finalised on May 12 and 13.

Apart from lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Najib was also represented by Farhan Read and Harvinderjit Singh.

Meanwhile, the prosecution was led by ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram.

Najib was charged on July 4, 2018 and August 8, 2018 at the Sessions Court with a total of seven charges over the RM42 million sum.

The Pekan MP whose corruption trial started on April 3 was ordered to enter his defence on November 11 after the High Court ruled the prosecution has proven prima facie, meaning there is sufficient grounds for a case against him after calling 57 witnesses in a hearing that lasted 57 days.

Those called included former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping, former second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, former SRC International board chairman Tan Sri Ismee Ismail and Datuk Azian Mohd Noh who is former Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) chief executive.

The High Court subsequently ordered Najib to enter his defence after the prosecution successfully proved prima facie against him on November 11, 2019.

Out of the seven charges Najib faced, the Pekan MP is accused of committing three counts of criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, and a separate charge under an anti-corruption law of abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same RM42 million sum.

The remaining three of the seven charges are for allegedly money-laundering the same total sum of RM42 million.

With the closure of the defence stage, Najib’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial is set to resume tomorrow afternoon before another High Court.

For the 1MDB trial, the High Court had previously fixed trial dates from March 11 (today) to 13, 19 to 20, 23 to 27 and 30 to 31 inclusive of Friday, the entire month of April, May 4 to 8, 11 to 15 and 18 to 22 inclusive of Fridays, as well as June until October inclusive of Fridays.

Najib’s 1MDB case related to over RM2 billion of 1MDB funds involves 25 charges, namely four counts of power abuse and 21 counts of money laundering.