Najib pardon: "Devastating" for 1MDB investigators - Ex-MACC chief
Latheefa calls Najib sentence reduction a "bitter blow" for investigators
SHAH ALAM - Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Latheefa Koya has described the decision to reduce Datuk Seri Najib Razak's sentence and fine as a 'bitter blow,' particularly for those involved in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) investigation.
“How do the MACC officers, who risked their jobs and livelihood to investigate 1MDB during the former prime minister era, feel about the reduced sentence?
“Let us make no mistake, it is a bitter blow to those officers and the MACC. They are civil servants and cannot speak out.
“I know the officers, I know what they feel now,” she said in a posting on X yesterday.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court originally sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison over the RM42 million SRC International corruption case.
He was also fined RM210 million.
His conviction and punishments were subsequently upheld in the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.
The Pardons Board commuted his sentence when it met last Monday.
While the reduced sentence places his release date in August 2028, Najib could be released earlier on “good behaviour” in August 2026 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
The decision has faced criticism from various quarters, including government backbencher Ramkarpal Singh and civil society.
However, unity government leaders have called on all parties to respect the board's decision.
While heading the MACC, Latheefa gained prominence for revealing nine audio recordings reportedly associated with the SRC International and 1MDB cases.
These recordings were said to include individuals such as Najib, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, former deputy public prosecutor Dzulkifli Ahmad, and other prominent figures.
