Court grants ex-Malaysian PM Najib house arrest after $12m royal pardon | Corruption News
Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak is poised to transition from prison to house arrest following his party’s successful crowdfunding efforts to pay a $12 million fine tied to his corruption conviction.
Najib’s attorney, Farhan Shafee, confirmed on Friday that he had received the necessary order and was en route to Kajang prison to facilitate the transfer. If all conditions are met, Najib’s house arrest could begin on the same day.
However, Malaysia’s Attorney General announced later on Friday that Najib’s transfer has been temporarily halted. The Attorney General’s office stated that Najib’s current incarceration will remain in place while legal ambiguities surrounding the conditions of his royal pardon are clarified.
Najib, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, has been incarcerated since 2022 after being convicted of corruption and embezzlement linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. This state investment fund, co-founded by Najib during his tenure from 2009 to 2018, is implicated in the misappropriation of billions of dollars.
The order for Najib’s house arrest follows a royal pardon granted by Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim in September, which allows him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. His party, the United Malays National Organisation, raised the funds for the fine through crowdfunding, as Najib’s personal bank accounts have been frozen.
Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride noted that the situation could significantly influence Malaysia’s political landscape. Concerns regarding the timing and implications of the pardon have been raised, particularly by current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has positioned himself as an anti-corruption advocate. Despite this, there is speculation that political pressures may have facilitated the pardon process.
Investigators allege that approximately $4.5 billion was misappropriated from the 1MDB fund, with over $1 billion traceable to Najib himself. He contends that he has been unjustly singled out for a complex global fraud scheme.
In a separate case related to the 1MDB scandal, Najib was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $2.5 billion for money laundering and abuse of power. He has appealed this judgment, citing health issues and financial constraints that hinder his ability to pay the fine. A judge denied his request for a stay of his sentence in September, emphasizing the public interest in considering the seriousness of his offenses.
Al Jazeera’s McBride further reported that Najib is expected to return to prison to complete his sentence in 2028, although the situation remains fluid and uncertain at this time.
