Malaysia’s ex-leader Najib Razak awaits verdict in first 1MDB trial
A Malaysian court is expected to hand down its verdict in former prime minister Najib Razak’s first corruption trial on July 28, nearly 16 months after investigations began into his role in the multi-billion-dollar scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) .
It will not only be a landmark ruling in its own right against a prime minister of nine years – Najib also served the Malaysian government in different roles such as minister of finance, defense, education, culture youth and sports, deputy prime minister and first minister of Pahang since 1982 –, but will also test the country’s efforts and intentions to stamp out corruption and could have big political implications.
Defeated in the 2018 general election amid widespread outrage over allegedly rampant graft in his government, Najib is facing multiple charges of corruption and abuse of power linked to billions of dollars Malaysian prosecutors say was siphoned off from 1MDB.
Najib and his inner circle are accused of plundering the sovereign wealth fund in a mind-boggling fraud that stretched around the world. US investment firm Goldman Sachs also became embroiled in the scandal and just settled the case with the Malaysian government for $3.9 billion.
Seven charges of corruption and money laundering
Najib is currently facing three separate 1MDB-linked trials. The first case centers on the transfer of around $9.9 million from a former 1MDB unit into Najib’s bank accounts. He is facing four charges of corruption and three of money laundering in the case, but denies any wrongdoing and insists he was ignorant of the bank transfers.
If Najib, who is currently free on bail, is convicted on July 28, he could be sentenced the same day. Each charge of corruption carries a maximum jail term of 20 years, and each money laundering count is punishable by a term of up to 15 years. In the worst case, this could translate into a jail sentence of 125 years in the first trial alone for the ex-leader, who turned 67 just on July 23.
The verdict comes after a Malaysian court on July 22 ordered Najib to settle a whopping 1.69 billion ringgit ($396.5 million) in unpaid taxes which piled up over seven years while he was still in office, according to a report by national newswire Bernama.
A Malaysian court is expected to hand down its verdict in former prime minister Najib Razak’s first corruption trial on July 28, nearly 16 months after investigations began into his role in the multi-billion-dollar scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) . It will not only be a landmark ruling in its own right against a prime minister of nine years – Najib also served the Malaysian government in different roles such as minister of finance, defense, education, culture youth and sports, deputy prime minister and first minister of Pahang since 1982 –, but will also test the country’s efforts...
A Malaysian court is expected to hand down its verdict in former prime minister Najib Razak’s first corruption trial on July 28, nearly 16 months after investigations began into his role in the multi-billion-dollar scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) .
It will not only be a landmark ruling in its own right against a prime minister of nine years – Najib also served the Malaysian government in different roles such as minister of finance, defense, education, culture youth and sports, deputy prime minister and first minister of Pahang since 1982 –, but will also test the country’s efforts and intentions to stamp out corruption and could have big political implications.
Defeated in the 2018 general election amid widespread outrage over allegedly rampant graft in his government, Najib is facing multiple charges of corruption and abuse of power linked to billions of dollars Malaysian prosecutors say was siphoned off from 1MDB.
Najib and his inner circle are accused of plundering the sovereign wealth fund in a mind-boggling fraud that stretched around the world. US investment firm Goldman Sachs also became embroiled in the scandal and just settled the case with the Malaysian government for $3.9 billion.
Seven charges of corruption and money laundering
Najib is currently facing three separate 1MDB-linked trials. The first case centers on the transfer of around $9.9 million from a former 1MDB unit into Najib’s bank accounts. He is facing four charges of corruption and three of money laundering in the case, but denies any wrongdoing and insists he was ignorant of the bank transfers.
If Najib, who is currently free on bail, is convicted on July 28, he could be sentenced the same day. Each charge of corruption carries a maximum jail term of 20 years, and each money laundering count is punishable by a term of up to 15 years. In the worst case, this could translate into a jail sentence of 125 years in the first trial alone for the ex-leader, who turned 67 just on July 23.
The verdict comes after a Malaysian court on July 22 ordered Najib to settle a whopping 1.69 billion ringgit ($396.5 million) in unpaid taxes which piled up over seven years while he was still in office, according to a report by national newswire Bernama.
