Najib marks first year in prison for 1MDB embezzlement
KUALA LUMPUR - Today marks the first year of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, 70, undergoing his sentence in Kajang Prison after he was found guilty of embezzling RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.
On Aug 23, last year history was made when the former prime minister was imprisoned for 12 years on those charges.
Najib failed in his final appeal in the Federal Court who maintained the conviction and sentence as well as a fine of RM210 or a prison sentence of five years if he failed to pay the fine.
The former Pekan MP was now facing three other court cases including the embezzlement of RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds now in the trial stages with the prosecution calling the 46th witness former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, 76.
Two other cases were of a criminal breach of trust totalling to RM6.6 billion regarding payments to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and money laundering involving SRC International funds worth RM27 million that were each in the case management level.
The Umno Supreme Council previously appealed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to consider a full royal pardon for the former Umno president.
However, the appeal papers were not brought into the Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya Federal Territories Pardons Board for the 59th time at Istana Negara in May.
The Kuala Lumpur Labuan and Putrajaya Federal Territories Pardons Board Secretary Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the papers would be considered at an appropriate time according to the laws and rules.
On July 28, 2020, the High Court here sentenced Najib to 72 years in prison and a fine of RM210 million after he was found guilty on seven charges of misuse of power, breach of trust and money laundering involving SRC funds.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali (now Court of Appeal judge) made the decision after finding the defence who represented the former Umno president had failed to raise reasonable doubt on the case.
The misuse of power charge had him sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million while the three other charges of breach of trust and three cases of money laundering he was sentenced to 10 years in prison each.
All the prison sentence totalled to 72 years, but the court ordered the sentence to be done simultaneously which meant Najib was imprisoned for 12 years.
Najib wasted no time in appealing the sentence but the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court that convicted Najib on Dec 8, 2021.
After a multitude of ‘drama’ at the Court of Appeal during Najib’s final appeal to free him of the charges, conviction and fines, he was finally sent to the Kajang Prison for his sentence.
It was after the Attorney-General Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat with Sabah and Sarawak Chief Justice Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim (now Court of Appeal president) and the Federal Court judges Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah (now Malaya Chief Justice) confirmed the conviction and sentence along with the fines.
Based on the decision Najib had begun his sentence in Kajang Prison on the same day.
