Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty of abuse of power on Friday, marking a pivotal moment in the extensive 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. This trial is considered one of the largest in the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of billions from the state fund, which Najib co-founded in 2009 while in office. The ruling is poised to have significant political implications as Malaysia grapples with the fallout from this high-profile case.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah has yet to deliver the full verdict and sentencing, but the implications of the conviction are already apparent. Investigators from both Malaysia and the United States assert that at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion allegedly funneled into accounts linked to Najib. He faces four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers amounting to over 2.3 billion ringgit (approximately $569.45 million) from 1MDB.
In an ongoing reading of the verdict, Judge Sequerah stated, “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.” He emphasized that the evidence clearly indicated Najib’s abuse of power within the context of 1MDB’s operations.
The ramifications of this verdict could be severe for Najib, who could potentially face maximum prison sentences of between 15 and 20 years for each charge, along with fines up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriations. Currently, Najib, aged 72, has been incarcerated since August 2022, when Malaysia’s highest court upheld a conviction for corruption related to misused funds from a 1MDB subsidiary. His earlier 12-year sentence was reduced last year by a pardons board.
Despite his legal troubles, Najib has maintained that he was misled by officials at 1MDB and the fugitive financier Jho Low, who has been charged in the United States but remains at large. Last year, Najib did issue an apology for how he handled the scandal during his tenure but has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that funds deposited in his accounts were donations from the Saudi royal family.
Judge Sequerah characterized the evidence presented during the trial as revealing an “unmistakable bond and connection” between Najib and Low, who acted as Najib’s “proxy and intermediary” in matters concerning 1MDB. The judge dismissed Najib’s claims of having been misled, describing his narrative as “implausible” and stating that the letters claiming donations from the Saudi royal family were likely forgeries. He concluded, “The irresistible conclusion is that the Arab donation narrative is not meritorious… the evidence pointed unmistakably to the fact that the monies were, in fact, derived from 1MDB funds.”
The verdict arrives shortly after another court rejected Najib’s request to serve his sentence under house arrest, a decision that has reignited tensions within the current government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Najib’s party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), initially campaigned against Anwar during the 2022 elections but later joined forces to form a coalition government after the election resulted in a hung parliament.
Following the court’s decision, some UMNO leaders expressed disappointment, voicing their frustrations over social media posts from members of Anwar’s coalition that celebrated the ruling. Anwar has since called for calm, urging all parties to accept the court’s verdict with “full patience and wisdom.” The political landscape in Malaysia remains sensitive as the nation continues to navigate the consequences of this landmark trial.
