Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak Sentenced to Additional 15 Years for Abuse of Power in 1MDB Trial
Najib Razak was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison after being found guilty of abuse of power related to the 1MDB graft scandal. This adds to the six-year term he is already serving from a separate case. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah convicted Najib on all four counts of abuse of power. A separate trial concerning 21 counts of money laundering connected to 1MDB is still pending.
Prosecutors stated that approximately 2.2 billion ringgit (around $544.15 million) were illegally transferred from 1MDB into Najib's accounts. Investigators estimate that at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion allegedly ending up in Najib's accounts. The misappropriated funds were reportedly used for real estate, a luxury yacht, and artworks.
Najib has been in prison since August 2022. In a related case, a 12-year sentence was halved by a pardons board last year, leaving him with the current six-year term being served. Najib denies any wrongdoing, claiming he was misled by 1MDB officials and fugitive Jho Low, who is charged in the US and whose whereabouts remain unknown. Najib's defense argued he was duped and that the funds were legitimate donations, but the judge rejected these claims.
