Kuala Lumpur (TDI): A Malaysian court has dropped three money laundering charges against former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who remains behind bars in connection with one of the country’s biggest financial scandals.
The charges, linked to the long-running 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga, alleged that Najib illegally received 27 million ringgit (around $6.3 million) into his personal accounts. However, the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday ordered a discharge not amounting to acquittal, following persistent procedural delays by the prosecution.
Najib’s defense lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told reporters that the case had been stalled for nearly six years. He said prosecutors were unable to present a clear timeline for when they would be ready to proceed, prompting the court’s decision to halt the case.
“Najib is relieved by the court’s ruling,” Shafee said, adding that this would allow the former leader to fully concentrate on the main 1MDB trial, where he faces far more serious allegations.
The court’s decision does not amount to a full acquittal, meaning prosecutors are still legally permitted to reinstate the charges at a later date.
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Najib, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2018, founded the 1MDB fund shortly after coming to power.
Probe revealed that over $4.5 billion from the fund was siphoned off, allegedly by Najib’s inner circle, to finance extravagant lifestyles, real estate, luxury accessories, and even Hollywood movies.
The scandal eventually caused Najib a political damage and public anger contributed significantly in making him lose the 2018 general election
In 2022, he was convicted in the first of several graft trials and began serving a 12-year prison sentence, which was later reduced to six years by Malaysia’s Pardon Board in 2024.
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Last year, Najib was also discharged, without acquittal, in a separate 1MDB-linked case involving the former treasury chief. Similarly, in 2023, he was acquitted of tampering with a government audit on 1MDB.
Najib’s legal battles are far from over. He awaits a verdict in a major trial in which he is accused of directly pocketing over $700 million from 1MDB. The defense wrapped up its arguments in May, covering four charges of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering tied to the same sum.
Closing arguments are set for October, after which the court is expected to announce a date for the final verdict.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
