KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's defence trial in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case is scheduled to begin at the High Court on Dec 2.
The court has fixed a 97-day hearing, with the dates spread through December and the entire next year for Najib to answer the charges against him.
For this year, the dates are Dec 2 - 6, Dec 9 - 13, while next year's dates are Jan 6 - 10, Jan 13 -17, Jan 20 - 24; Feb 10 - 14, Feb 17 - 21, Feb 24 - 28; March 3 - 5, March 10 -13, March 24 - 28; April 7 - 10, April 15 - 17, April 21 - 24; May 5 - 9; June 16 - 20; Aug 5 - 8, Aug 18 - 22; Sept 8 - 12; Oct 6 - 10 and Nov 3 - 7.
Earlier, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah ordered the former prime minister to enter his defence on four counts of power abuse and 21 counts of money laundering charges linked to the RM2.28bil said to be misappropriated from 1MDB.
Najib has chosen to give his evidence under oath from the witness stand.
During the closing of the prosecution’s case on May 30, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that the prosecution was offering 49 witnesses to the defence including Najib's own lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Earlier on Wednesday (Oct 30), the High Court had called on Datuk Seri Najib Razak to enter his defence on four charges of power abuse and 21 charges of money laundering involving RM2.28bil linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
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Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the court had conducted a maximum evaluation in the case and found that the prosecution had proven prima facie in its case against the former prime minister.
"This court accordingly calls upon the accused to make his defence on all 21 charges under the Anti-Money Laundering Act," he said here on Wednesday.
Just moments earlier, the judge called Najib to enter his defence on four charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 relating to abuse of power.
Najib's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client "has nothing to hide" and that he will give evidence from the stand.
After the court interpreter read to Najib his options, the former prime minister elected to give evidence under oath.
When reading his decision in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial in proceedings on Wednesday (Oct 30), Justice Sequerah had said that the charges proffered against Datuk Seri Najib Razak are valid and correct in law.
During the closing of the prosecution’s case on May 30, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that the prosecution was offering 49 witnesses to the defence including Najib's own lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
At a press conference today, Muhammad Shafee said the defence would produce at least 11 witnesses to testify for Najib.
He said some witnesses would be subpoenaed which meant they would be compelled to come to court.
Muhammad Shafee also indicated that the defence would take up the witnesses offered by the prosecution.
