KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s High Court on Wednesday ordered jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to defend himself in his second corruption trial in a multibillion-dollar case. looting of the state investment fund 1MDB.

Najib set up the 1Malaysia State Fund for Berhad Development shortly after taking power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund has accumulated billions in debt. Investigators say more than $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by its associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases.

The prosecution built its case on four counts of abuse of power to obtain more than $700 million of the funds deposited in Najib’s bank accounts between 2011 and 2014, and on 21 counts of money laundering. The money is the same amount, trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Wednesday.

He said the evidence demonstrated that Najib had a direct interest in 1MDB and his central role in all relevant transactions that ultimately plunged the fund into debt. The testimony also contradicted Najib’s claim that the funds deposited in his bank accounts were a donation from the Saudi royal family, the judge said.

The court asked Najib to present his defense, with the trial scheduled to resume on December 2. Calm, dressed in a blue suit throughout the proceedings, Najib, 71, told the court he would testify under oath.

Defense lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah told reporters that Najib was disappointed with the court’s decision.

“We are not giving up and we are going to fight in this matter,” he added.

The 1MDB scandal upended Najib’s government and he was defeated in the 2018 elections. He faces numerous court cases and began serving his sentence in 2022 after lose your last call in his first transplant case linked to 1MDB.

Najib’s current trial started in August 2019. This ties him directly to the scandal and involves 50 witnesses who testified over more than 230 court days.

On October 24, Najib issued a rare apology for the scandal “under his watch”, but reiterated his innocence.

Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges. Additionally, Najib still has a pending case involving criminal breach of trust and another trial for money laundering. Her wife Rosmah Mansor and other senior government officials also face corruption charges.