Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak was victimized by rogue bankers and should be acquitted of corruption linked to the massive looting of a state investment fund, his lawyers said Friday at the close of his first corruption trial over the scandal. The party is part of a new government that took power in March less than two years after it was ousted in 2018 elections amid immense public anger over the 1MDB investment fund scandal. One of the few Southeast Asian leaders to be arraigned after losing office, Najib faces five criminal cases covering 42 charges of criminal breach of trust, graft, abuse of power and money laundering linked to 1MDB.
