DISGRACED former prime minister Najib Razak’s acquittal of tampering with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) audit report has lifted his spirits and reignited his desire to fight, his lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said.

“It really lifts his spirits and desire to fight” other charges against him, Shafee said.

“You must see beyond that. The judge could have just said there’s no case, but he made specific findings too.

“In the case of Najib, there was no element of corruption or gratification,” he told reporters after the decision was delivered today.

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today acquitted Najib and former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda of tampering with the 1MDB audit report.

Justice Zani Mazlan ruled in favour of the defendants, saying the prosecution had failed to prove its case under section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

Najib, 70, currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for misappropriating SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, was charged with abusing his power to obtain immunity from legal action and making amendments to the finalised 1MDB audit report prior to its tabling before the Public Accounts Committee.

Arul, 46, was charged as former chief executive officer with abetting Najib, with the aim of shielding him from further action.

The prosecution closed its case on September 7 after calling 16 witnesses, including the late former chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa, former auditors-general Ambrin Buang and Madinah Mohamad, former 1MDB chairman Mohd Bakke Salleh and former National Audit Department audit director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad.

Arul said he was relieved at the decision, adding that he had a brief exchange with Najib in the courtroom immediately after the ruling.

“Both of us felt a sense of vindication and a sense of relief,” he said. – March 3, 2023.