In July last year, when we all still believed that we could make the coronavirus vanish, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
His crime? Criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering.
The 68-year-old had been implicated in a major corruption scandal involving the now-defunct state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He lodged an appeal against the 2020 conviction, but unfortunately for him, it didn’t hold up.
Najib Lost His Appeal Against his 12-Years’ Jailtime
Today (8 Dec), Malaysia’s Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s appeal on all seven charges, affirming the guilty verdict.
Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said the decision to convict the 68-year-old last year was the right call.
“We agree entirely with the learned trial judge that there is overwhelming evidence which establishes his personal interest… We found no good reason to disagree with that finding,” he said.
Had Stayed Out of Prison
Believe it or not, the former Malaysian premier has managed to stay out of jail this whole time, despite being convicted nearly a year and a half ago.
He had been granted a stay of execution, which allowed him to stay out of prison, pending his appeal to the Federal Court.
A Series of Setbacks
Before the court upheld the conviction, Najib’s defence team faced a series of setbacks in their client’s appeal.
Yesterday (7 Dec), the legal team applied to postpone the hearing as one of its members had tested positive for COVID-19.
But not only was this application denied, but the legal team was also denied another bid to submit new evidence for the case.
What’s more, Najib was issued an ultimatum to appear via Zoom for the court proceedings.
Najib’s only hope is an appeal to the Malaysia Federal Court.
Claims He’s Innocent
Najib was found guilty of seven of his charges, but is facing 42 counts of corruption, abuse of power, and money laundering, across five court cases.
All five cases are related to the now-infamous 1MDB, a state-owned wealth fund that he co-founded in 2009.
The US authorities alleged that over US$4.5 billion (S$6.2 billion) was embezzled from the 1MDB fund and spent to purchase yachts, paintings, and high-end properties across the world.
Najib was also ordered to pay RM1.69 billion to the Inland Revenue Board for unpaid taxes.
The 68-year, however, claims he’s innocent.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Najib Razak)
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