Kuala Lumpur (TDI): A Malaysian court on Friday found jailed former prime minister Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in the largest trial to date linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal, a ruling that could carry serious political consequences.
The High Court judge delivered the guilty finding but had yet to conclude the full reading of the verdict and announce sentencing.
Investigators in Malaysia and the United States have said at least $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the state investment fund Najib helped establish in 2009. Prosecutors allege that more than $1 billion was funnelled into accounts connected to Najib, claims he has repeatedly denied.
Najib faces four charges of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering related to the alleged receipt of more than 2.3 billion ringgit ($569 million) from 1MDB-linked entities. If convicted on all charges, he could face prison terms of up to 20 years for each offence, along with substantial fines.
In his ruling, Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah rejected Najib’s argument that the case was politically motivated, saying the evidence showed the former leader had abused his authority and control over 1MDB.
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“The claim that the charges were a witch hunt was contradicted by compelling and incontrovertible evidence demonstrating the accused’s misuse of his powerful position within 1MDB,” the judge said.
Najib, now 72, has been in prison since August 2022 after Malaysia’s top court upheld an earlier conviction for corruption involving funds from a 1MDB unit. His original 12-year sentence in that case was later reduced by half following a decision by a royal pardons board.
The court also examined Najib’s relationship with fugitive financier Jho Low, whom prosecutors describe as a central figure in the scandal. Judge Sequerah said evidence pointed to a close and unmistakable connection between Najib and Low, who allegedly acted as an intermediary in 1MDB dealings.
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Najib has maintained he was misled by Jho Low and other officials into believing that the funds deposited into his accounts were donations from Saudi royalty. However, the judge dismissed this claim as implausible, saying documents presented to support the donation narrative were unverified and likely forged. “The unavoidable conclusion is that the funds originated from 1MDB,” Sequerah said.
