Malaysia: Former PM Najib Razak sentenced to 15 years in prison, faces $2.8 billion fine

Malaysia: Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 15 years in prison by Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Friday. A US$2.8 billion fine was also imposed during the trial.

Razak, who is a 72-year-old former prime minister, was already serving a six-year prison sentence in Kajang Prison from a 2020 conviction in the SRC International case, a former 1MDB unit.

On December 26, Najib appeared in the nation’s High Court in front of the justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah for the charges, including four counts of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering.

The court also noted that money laundering related to more than US$700 million channeled into his personal bank accounts from the 1MDB fund.

Following which, Justice Sequerah sentenced him to 15 years in prison for each charge of abuse of power, and 5-years for the charges including money laundering; however while noting Razak’s previous sentences, the justice ordered his sentences to run concurrently.

Which means his new punishment will run with his previous sentence and will be completed in 15-years. Along with this justice also imposed a penalty of fine of 13.5 million Malaysian ringgit on him while mentioning that “if Najib fails to pay the penalty then he will face another 10 years in prison."

But after the proceeding Najib denied all the charges while his lawyer argued that “all the changes are not true and said that those funds were the donations from the Saudi royal family.” 

Challenging what his attorney argued, authorities alleged that “the funds they are talking about were used for buying hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry. Jeff Sessions, and to finance Hollywood movies.”

However the lawyer of Najib emphasized that “he will challenge this judgement and will appeal the verdict in the upper court.”