KUALA LUMPUR: After six years of trial, the High Court today ordered former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to enter his defence on 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power related to RM2.3 billion in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.
Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, now a Court of Appeal judge, made the ruling after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the 71-year-old Najib.
Following is a chronology of the case:
Sept 20, 2018 - Najib is charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with four counts of using his position to obtain bribes of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount, before Judge Azura Alwi.
Sept 27, 2018 - Najib completes payment of RM3.5 million bail as ordered by the Sessions Court.
Oct 31, 2018 - The case is transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Jan 9, 2019 - Najib files two applications to challenge the appointment of former Federal Court Judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as lead prosecutor in the case.
March 1, 2019 - The court dismisses Najib’s applications after finding no evidence of bias on Sri Ram’s part.
March 7, 2019 - Najib files application in Court of Appeal regarding the decision.
May 7, 2019 - Najib fails in his appeal.
June 17, 2019 - The Federal Court sets Aug 7, 2019 to hear Najib’s appeal to remove Sri Ram.
Aug 28, 2019 - The first day of Najib’s 1MDB trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
April 2, 2020 - The trial is postponed due to the Movement Control Order.
May 4, 2020 - Najib’s trial is set to resume on May 13, 2020, under open court guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oct 5, 2020 - The trial is scheduled to resume on Oct 19 after Najib completes a two-week home quarantine following his return from the Sabah election campaign.
Jan 5, 2021 - Trial resumes in the High Court after nearly a four-month break.
Sept 8, 2021 - The Court of Appeal again rules that Sri Ram will remain as lead prosecutor in the trial.
Dec 14, 2021 - The trial is postponed as Najib’s MySejahtera status classifies him as a person under surveillance (PUS), and the court rejects a prosecution request for hybrid proceedings with Najib and his lawyer joining via video conference.
Aug 25, 2022 - Najib attends the trial in the High Court for the first time since being sentenced in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. Najib was sent to Kajang Prison on Aug 23 after the Federal Court upheld his 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC.
Jan 29, 2023 - Sri Ram, the lead prosecutor, passes away at the age of 79.
Jan 30, 2023 - The High Court postpones Najib’s trial due to the sudden death of Sri Ram, whom the prosecution team regarded as a father figure.
Aug 18, 2023 - The High Court dismisses Najib’s application to remove Judge Sequerah from the case, Najib cites the judge’s previous association with former 1MDB lawyer Jasmine Loo Ai Swan.
Nov 6, 2023 - The High Court approves the prosecution’s request to amend three of Najib’s charges.
Jan 8, 2024 - Najib requests the prosecution to take action against the documentary “Man on the Run” on Netflix, alleging it is sub judice and highly contemptuous of his ongoing trial.
May 30, 2024 - The prosecution closes its case after six years, 235 trial days, and testimony from 50 witnesses.
Aug 20, 2024 - Najib withdraws his appeal to remove Judge Sequerah from his case.
Oct 3, 2024 - Judge Sequerah sets Oct 30 for the decision on whether Najib must enter his defence or be acquitted.
Oct 24, 2024 - Najib, through his son Datuk Mohamad Nizar, issues a public apology to Malaysians for the 1MDB scandal, which happened during his tenure as Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
