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formerly imprisoned Malaysian Prime Minister Najeeb Razak The conviction was imposed on Friday following a corruption trial related to the billion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund.
of the nation high court Najib, 72, was found guilty of three counts of abuse of power. Decisions on additional charges were still being announced Friday afternoon.
Authorities said he diverted more than $700 million from 1MDB funds to his personal bank accounts.
Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in an earlier case linked to the 1MDB scandal, which led to the defeat of his government in 2018.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) in his accounts from 1MDB’s former unit, SRC International.
He began his sentence in August 2022 after losing a final appeal, becoming the first former Malaysian leader to be jailed. The Clemency Board, a body that advises rulers on granting pardons, halved his sentence in 2024 and also reduced the fine.
Najib established the 1MDB development fund soon after taking office in 2009. He chaired the advisory board of 1MDB and had veto power as finance minister while serving as prime minister.
The corruption scandal spread to global markets and led to investigations in the United States and other countries.
According to the US Justice Department, between 2009 and 2014, Najib’s top officials and associates laundered more than $4.5 billion from the fund and laundered it through countries including the US, Singapore and Switzerland.
Authorities alleged that the money was used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases including hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewellery. jeff sessionsThe US Attorney General at the time called it “corruption at its worst.”
This scam also affected Wall Street Goldman Sachs He faces billions in fines for his role in raising funds for 1MDB.
The scion of a prominent political family, Najib was long seen as untouchable until public anger at 1MDB led to his ruling party’s 2018 election defeat, which had ruled Malaysia since the country gained independence from Britain in 1957.
Najib denied any wrongdoing. He said the funds were donations from Saudi Arabia and that he had been misled by rogue financiers led by Lo Taek Jho. He also argued that the prosecution was politically motivated. Low, believed to be the mastermind of the scam, is still at large.
Prosecutors have argued that Najib was the central decision-maker and ultimate beneficiary of the scheme and that Low and other former 1MDB executives were merely “messengers” carrying out his bidding.
Earlier this week, Najib failed to serve a corruption sentence while under house arrest. Malaysia’s High Court ruled on Monday that a rare royal order for home arrest issued by the country’s former king was invalid because it was not made in accordance with constitutional requirements. Najib’s lawyers have said they plan to appeal.
Originally scheduled for release in August 2028 after a sentence reduction, Najib now faces a long term behind bars.
Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor was also sentenced to 10 years in prison and a heavy fine in 2022 in a separate corruption case. He has been released on bail pending the appeal.