Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, July 4, 2018. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — Prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is representing Datuk Seri Najib Razak today in the latter’s high profile case believed to be over funds misappropriated from former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.

Najib is currently sitting in the dock in a packed courtroom in Kuala Lumpur, where the former prime minister is expected to be charged.

Prior to this, it was not known who will represent Najib who has already parted ways with two separate legal teams.

In the prosecution initiated about two months after Najib’s Barisan Nasional coalition lost federal power, new Attorney General (AG) Tommy Thomas is the lead prosecutor and is accompanied today by 11 deputies.

Lawyers representing Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, have requested permission to hold a watching brief of the trial.

Yesterday, state news agency Bernama reported that Najib is expected to be charged with over 10 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to SRC International.

Under Section 409 of the Penal Code which covers the offence of criminal breach of trust by a public servant over property he is entrusted with or have control over, the penalty is a jail term of between two years and 20 years and whipping and fine.

The government’s special taskforce for the 1MDB scandal yesterday announced that Najib was arrested at his private residence at 2.35pm in relation to former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd and would be charged this morning in Kuala Lumpur.

On July 2, 2015, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that investigators probing state investment firm 1MDB had found US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) deposited in Najib’s personal bank accounts just before the 13th general election, with RM42 million believed to have originated from SRC International.

In 2016, then-AG Tan Sri Apandi Ali cleared Najib of wrongdoing, claiming that the RM2.6 billion was a personal donation from the Saudi royal family and that Najib had alleged returned US$620 million to the Saudi royalty in August 2013.

Apandi had then said he had also found Najib committed no wrongdoing over the RM42 million deposited by SRC International into Najib’s bank account.