Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak today said he welcomes his trial over charges he fraudulently received RM2.6 billion as a chance to clear his name.

Speaking to reporters after he was released on a RM3.5 million bail by Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, Najib said he hoped his trial would demonstrate that "rule of law does exist in this country".

"I do not want to make any statement that can be considered as sub judice to this case but of course, on my part, the defence team has facts that are on our side.

"And we believe, what we hope for, is that the result (of this trial) will be able to show that rule of law does exist in this country," he said.

“As we are also aware of, the issue of the RM2.6 billion had been widely used to smear my name all this while. With the charges pressed against me today, it opens the chance for me to clear my name that I am not a thief.

"And hopefully, the process of this trial will end with the truth being upheld and once and for all, solve the issue of RM2.6 billion," he told reporters outside the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Clad in a black jacket matched with a light blue inner shirt, Najib appeared calm when he walked out from the courtroom. He was greeted by some 30 supporters who chanted his name.

Asked if he saw the charges against him were framed to bring him down, Najib said he does not want to make such an allegation.

Najib said he thanked the MACC and police for their good treatment adding that he did not have a problem in undergoing the trial as he wants justice to prevail so that he can clear his name.

He also clarified that he did not spend the night in the lock-up after being arrested by the MACC last night. Instead, he said he was held inside the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya.

'Returned large amount'

During the press conference, the former Umno president said the 21 money- laundering charges brought against him today were nothing “shocking".

He said the charges were categorised into three groups and included monies that he had “already returned to the sender”.

"This is what I need to make it clear because there might be some parties who would be confused thinking that the 21 charges pressed (against me) are something shocking.

"If we look at it on the surface, it does sounds shocking. But if we understand the facts and digest them, we can arrive at the conclusion that I had already returned a large amount (of the RM2.6 billion) to its sender soon after the 13th general election.

"And I hope that this conclusion will result in the truth surfacing in this trial that I face," he said.

The amount returned, Najib added, was not much of a difference from the RM2.6 billion that he received.