[Tee tiong huat]

Ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak to redeem himself in court, it all hinges on comprehensive evidence, not sentiment. Former attorney-general Abu Talib Othman said he said Najib still has an opportunity to clear himself of charges of misappropriating 1MDB funds when he gives his sworn testimony on Dec 2, but this depends on whether evidence he presented is genuine or merely fabrication.

Malaysia drops 1MDB-linked charges against ex-PM Najib. 27 Nov 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: A M'sian court on Wednesday (Nov 27) allowed corruption charges linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal filed against jailed former PM Namib Razak & former treasury chief to be dropped, their lawyers said.

Najib and former treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah were charged in 2018 with six counts of criminal breach of trust involving government funds worth 6.6 billion ringgit (US$1.48 billion), which officials have said were related to a settlement agreement between 1MDB and Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Company. Both consistently denied wrongdoing.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted their bid for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, due to procedural delays and the failure of the prosecution to disclose key documents, their lawyers said. The court correctly exercised its jurisdiction to discharge our client of the charges, consonant with the law," Najib's lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee said in a text message.

A discharge not amounting to an acquittal means the prosecution will not prosecute the accused for the offence for the time being but can do so in the future. The judge said that the court's decision did not “prejudice” the prosecution as they could recharge Najib and Irwan.