Malaysia's ex-PM Najib sent to prison as final 1MDB appeal lost
Source: The Guardian and agencies
Malaysia’s ex–PM Najib sent to prison as final 1MDB appeal lost
Federal court upholds conviction and 12-year sentence linked to fraud, saying appeal ‘devoid of any merits’
Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok and agencies
Tue 23 Aug 2022 13.58 BST
First published on Tue 23 Aug 2022 10.21 BST
Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been ordered to begin a 12-year prison sentence after he lost his final appeal against a conviction linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial frauds.
A five-member federal court panel said it unanimously found that Najib’s appeal was “devoid of any merits”, seemingly sealing the stunning downfall of the 69-year-old, who has become Malaysia’s first former PM to be jailed.
Najib, who reportedly appeared shocked as the verdict was read in court, was later photographed being driven away in a black car. His daughter-in-law Nur Sharmila Shaheen told AFP the family had been informed that he was sent to Kajang prison, south of the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
James Chin, professor of Asian Studies University of Tasmania, said the verdict marked a victory for the Malaysian public and the judiciary. “Prior to this, a lot of people in Malaysia will tell you that when it comes to political cases, you can never be sure which way the wind blows in the courts. Now it is quite clear that the courts are quite impartial,” he said.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/23/malaysia-ex-pm-najib-razak-loses-1mdb-appeal