Verdict day for Najib Razak as the High Court decides the RM2.3 billion 1MDB corruption and money laundering case after a seven-year trial.
PUTRAJAYA: All eyes are on the Palace of Justice today as the High Court is set to deliver its long-awaited decision in the RM2.3 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption and money laundering trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
This marks the end of a seven-year legal saga that has gripped the nation.
The verdict will be delivered by Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who has since been elevated to the Federal Court, marking the conclusion of a trial that began in 2019 and wrapped up with final submissions last month.
Najib, 72, faces four charges of abuse of power for allegedly obtaining RM2.3 billion in gratification linked to 1MDB funds, along with 21 counts of money laundering.
The charges stem from transactions involving accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad in Kuala Lumpur between 2011 and 2014.
Prosecutors allege that Najib while serving as both prime minister and finance minister, orchestrated the diversion of funds through a complex web of banks, shell companies and intermediaries, with the money allegedly flowing into his personal AmIslamic Bank accounts during that period.
The defence, led by senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, has denied all allegations, maintaining that Najib was deceived by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, and that the funds were legitimate political donations from Saudi Arabia.
Low remains at large and is wanted by authorities in Malaysia, the United States and Singapore.
The seven-year trial saw the prosecution call 50 witnesses over 235 days, while the defence presented 26 witnesses, including Najib himself.
If convicted, Najib faces a possible jail term of up to 20 years and hefty fines under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, in addition to further penalties under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Najib, who is currently incarcerated at Kajang Prison, has been serving a reduced six-year sentence since August 2022 following his conviction in the SRC International case, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
Earlier this week, the High Court dismissed his application to serve the remainder of that sentence under house arrest, ruling that an alleged royal addendum permitting such an arrangement had no legal standing.
His lawyers have indicated they will seek a stay of execution pending appeal should today’s verdict go against him.
The ruling is being closely watched by the public, with opinions sharply divided between Najib’s loyal supporters and critics who view the case as a symbol of accountability in the massive corruption scandal that contributed to the fall of his government in 2018.
