KUALA LUMPUR, December 26 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak will learn his fate today as the High Court delivers its judgment on 25 criminal charges linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, nearly seven years after he was charged in 2018.
The former prime minister, now 72, is accused of abusing his positions to obtain RM2.22 billion and laundering funds allegedly originating from 1MDB, with the court to decide whether the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Central to the trial is Najib’s defence that the RM2.08 billion received in his personal AmIslamic bank account in 2013 was a “Saudi donation” and not misappropriated 1MDB funds. Najib has said the money was promised by Saudi royalty and partly returned after remaining unused.
While the prosecution has dismissed the claim as fictitious, arguing that the funds were traced to a 1MDB subsidiary via Tanore Finance Corporation and that Najib knowingly handled “tainted” money despite warning signs.
If convicted, Najib faces the prospect of further jail time and heavy fines, though today’s ruling can still be appealed to higher courts. Regardless of the outcome, the decision will not affect his current imprisonment/
As he is already serving a separate sentence over the SRC International case, making today’s judgment a significant but not final chapter in the long-running 1MDB proceedings.
