Najib sentenced to additional 15 years' jail over RM2.3 billion 1MDB case

Najib Razak has been sentenced to 15 years in jail  and a fine of RM13.38 billion after the court today found him guilty of embezzling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB, in yet another blow to his quest for freedom, which has already strained ties between Umno, which he once led, and the Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The sentences were announced by Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah after a session lasting more than 10 hours, during which he spent over three hours reading his judgement.

This comes just four days after a judge rejected a request by former Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence from a previous conviction under house arrest – a decision welcomed by DAP leaders, whose recent remarks have sparked protests from Umno leaders and calls to reevaluate support for Anwar.

Sequerah found Najib guilty of all four charges of abusing his power as prime minister to receive gratification worth RM2.27 billion, for which he has been sentenced to 15  years' jail for each count, as well as five years each for 21 counts of money laundering over RM4.3 billion involving 1MDB, the scandal-ridden state company that ultimately caused his fall from power in 2018. The sentences are to run concurrently and will start after his current prison term expires in 2028.

He has also been slapped with a fine of RM11.38 billion for the four charges of power abuse, and RM2 billion for the 21 other charges.

Najib is accused of transferring funds illegally to his personal bank account and to Tanore Finance Corporation, a company controlled by an associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.

The trial, which heard testimonies from 76 witnesses, dragged on for seven years and concluded early last month.

Najib has claimed that the US$681 million transferred to his bank accounts was a donation from Saudi royalty, and accused 1MDB officials of working with Jho Low to siphon money from 1MDB, naming among others former 1MDB legal adviser Jasmine Loo, former CEOs Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir, and Najib’s ex-aide Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.

'Tales from Arabian Nights'

In his judgement today, Sequerah, who has presided over the trial from the start, rejected the defence's argument that prosecution witnesses' testimonies were hearsay, despite the absence of Jho Low, who was named by them as the person giving instructions on Najib's behalf.

"Jho Low maintained communications with 1MDB officers and issued instructions from the accused (Najib) in 1MDB. Directions from Jho Low emanated from the accused. Jho Low was the agent of the accused," he said.

The judge also concluded that Saudi letters furnished by Najib to prove that the money was a donation pledged to him by the royal family were fake.

"The original letters had not been produced," he added.

He further questioned the claim that the fund was a donation from Saudi Arabia, saying it was never discussed in Cabinet, and added that Najib acted "in wilful blindness".

"This is a tale of unbelievable and a tale surpassed from the Arabian Nights and a concoction bereft of any credibility," Sequerah said, reading a lengthy judgement before issuing his verdict.

While Najib will be filing an appeal, today's verdict means he must submit a fresh application for a royal pardon, amid growing calls from Umno to grant him a full pardon.

His earlier appeal for pardon over the SRC International conviction ended with his 12-year jail sentence being halved and the RM240 million fine reduced to RM50 million.

The pardon application was, however, mired in controversy after it was revealed that just before stepping down as the 16th Agong, Sultan Abdullah had added notes to the pardons document, calling for Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

Anwar and other PH leaders have repeatedly dismissed claims about the existence of the addendum, stating that the matter would only be decided by the court.

On Monday, High Court judge Alice Loke ruled that the addendum was invalid.

The decision was welcomed by DAP leaders, many of whom expressed support for remarks by Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin, who said it was "another reason" to celebrate the year-end.