Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali had acted more like Najib Abdul Razak's 'de facto defence counsel' based on the way the prime minister was cleared over corruption investigation, lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

"He (Apandi) had exceeded his jurisdiction as the purported 'attorney-general' when he acted as Najib's de facto defence counsel by raising possible defences for and on his behalf," he said in a written submission, referring to the RM2.6 billion donation deposited into Najib's private bank accounts.