Malaysia ex-PM Najib Razak jailed for 15 more years in 1MDB saga's biggest trial

KUALA LUMPUR —Malaysia's influential former premier Najib Razak was jailed on Friday for a further 15 years and fined $2.8 billion for power abuse and money laundering in the biggest trial of the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, a ruling that could have big political ramifications.

Malaysia and U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state fund Najib co-founded in 2009 during the first of his nine years in power in the Southeast Asian country.

More than $1 billion allegedly made its way into accounts linked to 72-year-old Najib, who was first imprisoned in 2022 in another 1MDB case and has long insisted he has been made the scapegoat for Malaysia's biggest-ever financial scandal.

During a verdict that took five hours to deliver, high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Najib's contention that he was repeatedly deceived by others at 1MDB was implausible and to believe that would "stretch the imagination into the realms of pure fantasy".

The ruling could fuel further tensions in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's governing alliance, which includes the once dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party, over which Najib has retained significant influence even from jail.

On a day of reckoning for arguably Malaysia's most divisive politician, Najib was found guilty of all four counts of abuse of power and all 21 money laundering charges, after a marathon legal battle that included multiple appeals and a partial royal pardon.

Cold, hard, incontrovertible evidence

"The contention by the accused that the charges against him were a witch hunt and politically motivated were debunked by the cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence against him that pointed towards the accused having abused his own powerful position in 1MDB, coupled with the extensive powers conferred upon him," Judge Sequerah said in the verdict.

Sentences were handed down of 15 years for each count of power abuse and five years for each money laundering charge, to be served concurrently, after Najib's current jail term ends in 2028.

Najib was ordered to pay fines of 11.39 billion ringgit ($2.82 billion), and the court said 2.08 billion ringgit in assets must be recovered from him. Failure to deliver on both would result in additional jail time, it said.

Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he would appeal the ruling on Monday.

Najib apologised last year for mishandling the scandal, saying he was misled by 1MDB officials and fugitive financier Jho Low about the source of the funds in his accounts. Low, who was charged in the United States for his central role in the case, denies wrongdoing and his whereabouts are unknown.

Judge Sequerah said that as prime minister, Najib "stood at the very apex of the decision-making process" and evidence revealed he had an "unmistakable bond and connection" with Low, who acted as his proxy and intermediary in 1MDB affairs.

In a statement read by his lawyer, Najib urged Malaysians to remain calm and rational and vowed to continue his fight.

"This struggle is not an effort to avoid responsibility," he said. "It is an endeavor to uphold justice, to uphold the integrity of the constitution, and to defend the sovereignty of the rule of law without fear or favour."

Superyacht and celebrity parties

Funds siphoned from 1MDB were used by the opulent-living Low and his associates to buy a trove of luxury assets from a private jet and a $120 million superyacht to hotels, artworks and jewelry, and to finance the 2013 Hollywood film "The Wolf of Wall Street", U.S. lawsuits have said.

Savvy networker Low had high-profile international connections and famously attended lavish parties with A-List American celebrities, including actors and singers.

Najib, who sat with his head down and shoulders slumped at numerous times during the verdict reading, has maintained Low and other 1MDB officials made him believe funds deposited into his account were donations from the Saudi royal family.

But the judge dismissed that, saying Najib - the British-educated son of a former premier - was "no country bumpkin" and "of superior intelligence".

He described the alleged donations as "implausible", saying letters produced by Najib that allegedly originated from the Saudi royals were probably forgeries.

"The evidence pointed unmistakably to the fact that the monies were in fact derived from 1MDB funds," Sequerah said.

Test for ruling alliance

The verdict came just days after another court denied a bid by Najib to serve his existing jail sentence under house arrest after it was halved in 2024 to six years by a pardons board chaired by Malaysia's former king.

The court's rejection of Najib's request reignited tensions within the ruling alliance, with some UMNO leaders expressing disappointment and others angered by celebratory social media posts by some members of Anwar's coalition.

Najib's UMNO campaigned against Anwar in a 2022 election but joined his coalition to form a government after the poll ended in a hung parliament. Anwar on Tuesday urged parties to accept the decision with "full patience and wisdom".

The verdict was the culmination of a decade-long investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which former government officials said was systematically obstructed by Najib's administration while the United States, Switzerland and Singapore made headway in their own 1MDB probes.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the investigation had experienced significant legal, technical, and jurisdictional challenges.

"This decision is neither a moment of celebration nor of personal pride. Rather, it reflects the fulfillment of our responsibility and duty to the nation," he said.—Reuters