00:00The trial judge in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1MDB case on Tuesday questioned the defence
00:06team about the distinction between the former premier's personal expenses and those for
00:11political purposes.
00:13During his submission at the close of the prosecution's case at the KL High Court,
00:18Judge Datuk Colin Lawrence Sequeira posed the question to Najib's lead counsel, Tan
00:24Shri Muhammad Shafi Abdullah.
00:27The lawyer said the defence proved that 99% of the money in Najib's account was not
00:33used for his personal purposes, for instance, to buy a private plane or treat everybody
00:38with champagne in a New York bar.
00:41He contended that Najib spent it for the benefit of the public, adding that his client had
00:45used 300 million ringgit from 1MDB for the 2013 general election.
00:51At this point, Judge Sequeira questioned the veteran counsel about the existence of
00:55any case law backing his argument.
00:59In response, Muhammad Shafi said that it is an inference of facts and that no case is
01:03quite like Najib's 1MDB case, setting it apart from any precedent.
01:08The judge then asked for the prosecution's comment on the matter.
01:12Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Bahreen Omar replied that they were only concerned with
01:18the fact that the alleged funds, which entered Najib's accounts, came from illegal proceeds.
01:25Fellow DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib added that it did not matter whether Najib used the purported
01:32funds for personal or political reasons, as the law says it is for his advantage.
01:38The submission continues.
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