A Malaysian court on Wednesday (December 8th) confirmed on appeal the 12-year prison sentence of former Prime Minister Najib Razak for his role in the vast 1MDB corruption scandal which contributed to the fall of his government in 2018.
“We let us dismiss the plaintiff's appeal
,
”
Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil told the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of the Southeast Asian country.
"We confirm the conviction of the High Court on all 7 counts
," he added.
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The 68-year-old ex-leader was found guilty on all counts last year in the first of multiple ongoing trials for the looting of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund, which is believed to contribute to economic development from Malaysia. Najib Razak and his relatives are accused of embezzling billions of dollars from this fund to finance personal expenses ranging from real estate, to luxury items and or works of art.
The first lawsuit concerns the embezzlement of 42 million ringgits ($ 9.9 million) from a 1MDB entity into Najib Razak's bank accounts.
A minimal sum compared to the vast embezzlements for which he is suspected of being responsible.
The ex-prime minister is likely to initiate a last resort in Malaysia's highest court and could thus remain on parole pending the verdict.
Malaysian anger at the looting played a major role in the surprise electoral defeat in 2018 of the coalition led by Najib Razak, who has led the government since 2009.
