KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld the 12-year prison sentence of former prime minister Najib Razak for his role in the billion-dollar corruption scandal at the 1Malaysia Development Berhad State Investment Fund.
Najib was sentenced by a high court in July 2020 and fined $50 million on charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power related to illegally receiving RM42 million ($10 million) from SRC International Gaya, a former subsidiary of the now-defunct. 1MDB.
Investigators allege that at least $4.5 billion was embezzled from 1MDB and laundered by Najib’s associates. Najib has pleaded not guilty and has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying he was misled by Malaysian fugitive financier Lo Taek Zho. The scandal toppled Najib’s government in 2018.
As the Court of Appeal upheld the 2020 ruling, Chief Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said the case was a “national embarrassment”.
“This is not something that can be said to have been done in the national interest,” he read out the verdict. “There is no national interest here, just national embarrassment.”
The court had agreed to the defense’s request for a stay on the jail term pending the final appeal. Till then Najeeb will be out on bail.
The former prime minister and his legal counsel, Mohammed Shafi Abdullah, attended court proceedings via a video call, as they were reportedly in contact with contacts who tested positive for COVID-19 .
Later in an online press conference, Najeeb said he was “very disappointed” with the decision.
“I want to reiterate and say that I did not know, nor did I ask or … directed someone to my account for RM 42 million,” he said.
Chief prosecutor V. Seethambaram told reporters that Najeeb’s final appeal would be decided by the federal court, the country’s top court, within the next six to nine months, but the appeals court’s decision showed the conviction to be “according to law and facts”. ,
The 68-year-old politician remains a key figure in the ruling United Malay National Organization party, which has led coalition governments since independence from Britain in 1957.
Topped in the 1MDB scam in 2018, the party returned to power in August.
While the Court of Appeal’s decision may not put a dent in Najib’s popularity, it is a setback for his possible return to the country’s top office in the next general election to be held by 2023.
Dr Oh E Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told Arab News: “In terms of popularity, I don’t think it will have any bearing, because supporters will support Najib, regardless of his punishment.”
“However, if his sentence is not reversed by the time of the next general election, he may not be able to run. If he cannot run, he cannot become prime minister again. reached the Court of Appeal.
One of them, 67-year-old Amaruddin, who goes by a known name, said he had traveled 200 km from Terengganu to stand in solidarity with Najeeb, who he believes became a victim of political persecution. Is.
“Najib is innocent and he has been accused because the previous government had defamed him,” Amaruddin said. “He’ll get out of this unheard of.”
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