Imprisoned Malaysian Ex-Prime Minister Najib Loses Bid Conviction Reconsideration

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s highest court on Friday rejected a proposal to review imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s corruption conviction in a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal of 1MDB in state funds, ending Najib’s judicial efforts to challenge the guilty verdict. It is.

Najib was imprisoned last year after a Malaysian federal court found him guilty and a lower court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

Najib can no longer challenge the conviction in court, but has applied for a royal pardon that, if successful, would allow him to be released without serving a 12-year term.

Federal Judge Vernon Ong said the five-member panel voted 4-1 to dismiss Najib’s motion for a conviction review.

He said there was no misjudgment in the Supreme Court ruling last year, adding that the review was only allowed under “very limited and exceptional circumstances.”

“In the final analysis, considering all the circumstances, we can only say that the applicant (Najib) is the cause of his unhappiness,” said Ong.

Investigators say about $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which Najib co-founded during his first year as prime minister in 2009, with more than $1 billion going into accounts linked to Najib.

Najib, 69, was indicted after losing the 2018 general election.

He was convicted by the High Court in 2020 of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering for illegally receiving approximately $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He lost all appeal.

Former Prime Minister Lee has consistently maintained his innocence.

Najib is facing three different trials involving transplants at 1MDB and other government agencies.