PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has referenced recent remarks by his successor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's, to argue that all corruption charges against him in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal are flawed.
Najib, who was the sixth prime minister, said that Anwar's statement on flaws in the prosecutorial process strongly validated his longstanding concerns about the legal proceedings against him.
The former Pekan member of parliament said he had provided detailed accounts of the "glaring procedural deficiencies" that aligned with Anwar's remarks about prosecutions being rushed and tainted by venom and enmity.
"I have maintained that these proceedings exemplify rushed and flawed prosecutions.
"The charges against me relate to actions I undertook during my tenure as prime minister and finance minister, which were official functions carried out based on professional advice and established governance protocols.
"These official actions have been mischaracterised to suggest criminal intent, a claim I categorically deny," he said while testifying in his corruption trial for misappropriating billions of funds belonging to 1MDB.
To prove his point, Najib cited a case where Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Nur Aida Arifin testified during the same trial that the investigation paper had been forwarded to the Attorney-General's Chambers on Aug 28, 2018 – nearly a month before his statement was recorded.
"In fact, my statement was only finalised on the morning of Sept 19, 2018, and by that very afternoon, I was charged in court.
"To me, this sequence of events underscores a gross procedural injustice which I faced then and I am still facing now.
"The MACC and the prosecutor never showed any interest whatsoever to investigate or consider my defence as the charges against me had already been drafted and finalised a month earlier," he said.
Najib said it was a fundamental principle of fair trials that a potential accused's statement be fully considered by the prosecution before charges were filed to ensure that any defences or explanations raised could be properly weighed.
"However, it is plain and clear that in my case, this principle was entirely disregarded.
"Anwar also highlighted systemic flaws in the prosecutorial process, which resonate deeply with my concerns about selective accountability in my case," he added.
On Dec 21, Anwar said some prosecution cases after the 14th General Election were flawed because they were rushed.
He was responding to a question about the independence of the judiciary following the acquittal of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor on money-laundering and tax evasion charges last month.
Najib faces four charges of abusing his position to receive RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money-laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.