Criminal proceedings were initiated in Malaysia against Dato’ Sri Najib Razak, former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia, arising from allegations that approximately USD 4.5 billion had been misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. In connection with the matter, Dato’ Sri Najib Razak faced 4 charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering under Malaysian law. The prosecution alleged that funds were diverted through complex offshore corporate structures and international banking channels over a period exceeding a decade.

The proceedings before the Malaysian High Court spanned more than 7 years and involved extensive documentary evidence, international cooperation, and detailed examination of complex cross-border financial transactions. The defence engaged in numerous procedural and evidentiary applications, including applications for discovery of banking records held by third parties, applications concerning the admissibility of alleged hearsay evidence, and requests for the production of witness statements relied upon by the prosecution. The proceedings also involved issues relating to judicial recusal and the scope of disclosure obligations in a large-scale financial crime prosecution.

The matter attracted substantial domestic and international attention due to the scale of the allegations, the number of jurisdictions involved, and the complexity of the financial and evidentiary issues raised during the trial.