In a brief statement from the dock just before the defence team made its closing submissions, the former prime minister said he had been unfairly singled out in the case.

“The fact that I stand alone, charged with the wrongdoings of others, is telling of the kind of prosecution against me,” he told the Court of Appeal.

Najib named 1MDB’s former chief executive officers Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Hazem Abdul Rahman, its former general counsel Jasmine Loo, and former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir as the culprits in the scandal.

He also said former special officer, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin played a role in the financial affairs that led to the sovereign fund’s downfall.

“Despite such stark revelation and confirmed misconduct, none of them has been charged,” he said.

Last year, the High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence to 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering involving 1MDB funds.

It also held that Shahrol, Loo, Amhari and former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz were credible witnesses, adding that they had no reason to “frame” him.

The court also ruled the charges brought against the former prime minister had fulfilled all legal requirements, and were not “vague” as contended by the defence.

Today, Najib again disputed the charges, claiming they were misleading.

He also insisted that he was merely seeking justice and equality like every other accused person in court.

Najib is standing trial on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing continues before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.