KUALA LUMPUR, December 10 — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak testified in his 1MDB trial, alleging that the 2016 US Department of Justice (DoJ) civil forfeiture action to recover over $1 billion in assets linked to the scandal was part of a politically motivated conspiracy. Najib claimed the move was a collaboration between the US Democratic Party and Malaysia’s then-opposition to orchestrate a regime change, accusing former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch of “literally trying to lynch me.” He further argued that the DoJ’s opposition to his access to evidence in the US courts undermined his defense in the Malaysian trial, calling the withheld information “exculpatory.”
Najib also highlighted his efforts to access documents from Goldman Sachs and former banker Tim Leissner, stating that evidence would clear him of wrongdoing. Despite initial approval by a New York court in January 2021, the request was stayed in May 2021 to protect ongoing US criminal investigations into 1MDB-related cases. Najib insisted that seeking this evidence indicated his confidence in his innocence. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, reiterated claims that the DoJ’s actions were politically driven and accused the US of orchestrating global regime changes, including in Malaysia.
