Malaysia's court found the country's former Prime Minister Najib Razak guilty of embezzling funds from the 1MDB state fund and money laundering, sentencing him to 15 years in prison. Additionally, he was fined 13.5 billion ringgit (2.8 billion dollars). The BBC writes about this.
The 72-year-old former politician is accused of abusing his power and misappropriating approximately 569 million dollars (2.3 billion ringgit). The court proceedings on December 26 found Najib guilty on 4 counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. According to the law, the sentences are to be served concurrently.
Najib Razak has been serving a 12-year prison sentence since 2022 in another corruption case. In 2024, his sentence was halved. Earlier this week, the court rejected his request to serve the remaining term under house arrest.
History of the Scandal
The 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) scandal is considered one of the largest corruption schemes in the world. According to investigation data, a total of 4.5 billion dollars was embezzled from the state fund. Although the former prime minister tried to justify these funds as a "gift from the Saudi king," the court found this claim to be unfounded.
This court verdict is having a significant impact on Malaysian politics. Representatives of the current government emphasize that this decision is an important signal showing that even the country's "number one" leaders are accountable before the law. For reference, Najib Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was also convicted of corruption and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
