Former prime minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak was found guilty on all 25 charges involving the abuse of power and money laundering linked to RM2.3 billion in 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who presided over the trial, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Najib was convicted on four counts of abusing his position to obtain RM2.3 billion in bribes through accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad between 2011 and 2014, offences that carry up to 20 years’ imprisonment and heavy fines under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.
He was also found guilty on 21 counts of money laundering, relating to transactions at the same bank in 2013, under the AMLA law, which carries penalties of up to five years’ jail, RM5 million in fines, or both per charge.
First charged in September 2018, the seven-year trial drew international attention, involving 50 prosecution witnesses, including former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, senior 1MDB executives and MACC investigators. The defence called 26 witnesses over 58 days.
Najib is currently serving a prison sentence at Kajang Prison for the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International, with sentencing for the 1MDB convictions expected to follow.
