Appeal Rejected, Federal Court Upheld 12-year Prison Sentence For Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak

Najib Razak. (Wikimedia Commons/Firdaus Latif)

JAKARTA - Malaysia's Federal Court rejected the latest appeal filed by former prime minister Najib Razak, upheld a guilty verdict related to allegations of a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Tuesday.

A federal court also rejected his request for a reprieve, ordering him to start serving a 12-year prison sentence.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the court unanimously rejected Najib's appeal and that the lower court's ruling was appropriate.

"The defense is inherently inconsistent and overwhelming, so it does not cast reasonable doubt on the case. We also find the sentence handed down was not excessive," he explained.

Najib sat in the defendant's chair when the verdict was read out. His wife, Rosmah Mansor, and their three children sat behind him.

Najib, 69, was found guilty by a lower court in July 2020 of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

The former prime minister, who pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a fine of 210 million ringgit (46.84 million US dollars). However, his detention was suspended, pending the outcome of the appeal.

The court had previously rejected Najib's latest attempt to prevent a final verdict by seeking the removal of the chief justice from the panel.

Speaking in court moments before the final verdict was delivered, Najib said he was a victim of injustice, while asking for another two months for his new lawyer to prepare his appeal.

"The worst feeling is having to realize that the power of the judiciary was pinned on me in the most unfair way," Najib told the court.

Prosecutors say about $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB. Investigators say they have traced more than $1 billion in 1MDB money to accounts linked to Najib.

The widespread scandal has implicated officials and financial institutions around the world, and prompted the US Department of Justice to open what has become its largest kleptocracy investigation.

Najib, who faces multiple trials on the charges, has consistently denied wrongdoing.