Malaysia’s High Court on Friday convicted former Prime Minister Najib Razak in a major corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB state fund scandal.
The court found Najib, 72, guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving more than $700 million that flowed into his personal bank accounts from the 1MDB fund. His lawyers were expected to make mitigation submissions before sentencing later in the day.
Najib denied wrongdoing, claiming the money was a political donation from Saudi Arabia and that he was deceived by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, widely seen as the mastermind of the scandal. The judge rejected that claim, saying evidence clearly showed the funds came from 1MDB and that documents presented to support the Saudi donation story were forged.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Najib could not be portrayed as an unaware victim. He cited witness testimony showing a close link between Najib and Low, describing Low as a key intermediary and facilitator acting on Najib’s behalf in 1MDB-related transactions.
The judge said Najib failed to verify the source of the huge sums and continued using the money despite clear warning signs. He also noted that Najib took steps to protect his position, including removing top officials who were investigating the scandal.
The verdict marks another milestone in one of the world’s largest financial scandals, which sparked investigations in several countries and shook global markets.
Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, is already in prison after being convicted in an earlier 1MDB-linked case. He began serving a 12-year sentence in 2022 for offences involving a former 1MDB unit, becoming Malaysia’s first ex-leader to be jailed. His sentence was later reduced by the Pardons Board.
The 1MDB fund was set up soon after Najib took office, with him holding key oversight powers. Investigators have said billions of dollars were looted from the fund and laundered abroad to finance luxury purchases and other expenses.
Najib now faces the prospect of a longer stay behind bars, while legal proceedings in other cases linked to the 1MDB scandal continue.