Malaysian court on Friday ( December 26) found former Prime Minister Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in a high-profile trial linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, marking a major development in the long-running case that has shaken the country’s politics and financial institutions

The High Court judge has yet to complete the full reading of the verdict and announce sentencing. Najib faces four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering over the alleged receipt of more than 2.3 billion ringgit (about $569 million) from sources linked to 1MDB.

Reading the verdict, Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the defence’s argument that the charges were politically motivated had been disproved by “cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence,” showing that Najib abused his position and extensive authority within 1MDB.

Malaysia and US investigators say at least $4.5 billion was siphoned off from the state investment fund, which Najib co-founded in 2009 while in office. Prosecutors allege that more than $1 billion of the misappropriated funds flowed into accounts linked to Najib, allegations he has consistently denied. According to Reuters, the case is among the most significant corruption prosecutions in Malaysia’s history.

The court also dismissed Najib’s claim that the funds were donations from the Saudi royal family, describing the explanation as implausible and unsupported by evidence. The judge said the evidence demonstrated an “unmistakable bond and connection” between Najib and fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, widely known as Jho Low, who allegedly acted as a proxy in 1MDB transactions. Jho Low, who is charged in the United States, denies wrongdoing and remains at large.

Najib could face prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years on each charge, along with fines of up to five times the value of the allegedly misappropriated funds.

The 72-year-old former premier has been behind bars since August 2022, after Malaysia’s top court upheld his conviction in a separate 1MDB-related case. His original 12-year sentence in that case was later reduced by half by a pardons board.

The latest verdict comes just days after a court rejected Najib’s bid for house arrest, a decision that has reignited political tensions within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition, as the long-running 1MDB saga continues to shape Malaysia’s political landscape.

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