Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib spends $800,000 in a single day.

During the trial of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, prosecutors stated that he used a credit card to pay 3.3 million ringgit (approximately $803,000) for items purchased at a luxury jewelry store in Italy on August 8, 2014 alone.

A few months later, the former prime minister went on to spend 466,000 ringgit (over $113,000) at a fashion store in Hawaii, USA, and 127,000 ringgit ($31,000) at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

Prosecutors said these payments were all made using Najib's Ambank account. They presented credit card receipts as evidence against the former prime minister in court.

The trial was held to consider allegations that Najib misused funds from SRC International, a subsidiary of the state-owned investment fund 1MDB, which is under investigation for a multi-billion dollar embezzlement scandal.

Najib is alleged to have received $681 million from the 1MDB fund transferred into his personal account to finance his lavish lifestyle with his wife, Rosmah Mansour. Following their arrest, police searched their residence and discovered numerous designer goods and jewelry items worth a total of $273 million. However, the former prime minister and his wife deny all allegations.

"That expenditure was for gifts for senior members and delegations from a country that has good relations with Malaysia. Giving gifts to foreign government leaders is normal," Najib explained on Facebook last night, referring to the expenditure of over $800,000, but without disclosing which government delegation received the jewelry.

Najib and his wife were banned from leaving Malaysia after his defeat to Mahathir Mohamad in the May 2018 prime ministerial election. Following his election victory, Prime Minister Mahathir ordered an investigation into 1MDB. Former Prime Minister Najib currently faces 25 charges related to money laundering and abuse of power.