1MDB trial: Najib finally finishes reading witness statement of over 520 pages, but adds 130 pages more

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today finally finished reading his written witness statement stretching more than 520 pages, which is also the eighth day he has been testifying in his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial.

But immediately after Najib finished reading his 520-plus-page witness statement which had to be split into two big volumes, his lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Wan Fakhruddin informed the High Court that an additional written witness statement has been added on.

“It’s about 130 pages,” Wan Azwan Aiman said.

Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar informed the High Court that the prosecution had received Najib’s additional witness statement at about 2.45pm.

This means that Najib will continue reading his witness statement tomorrow morning.

The trial will only be for half a day as Najib will be sent back to Kajang Prison to perform his Friday prayers.

Najib, who was still in the witness stand, then took the opportunity to speak to the High Court to ask to have 1MDB court proceedings end earlier tomorrow.

“I don’t want to miss Friday prayers tomorrow if possible, so if we could finish at 11.45am, because it takes time to get back to Kajang. Last week I didn’t make it on time,” he said.

When trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah asked if concluding at 12pm would be alright, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said it would be a “touch and go” situation.

Najib added that traffic is “normally quite bad at that time”.

The judge then said the trial could stop at 11.45am tomorrow but said the hearing would start at 9am.

Najib is currently serving his jail term since August 23, 2022, as he was convicted in a separate trial involving former 1MDB unit SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million. His jail term this year was cut to six years by the Federal Territories Pardons Board.

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