By Rozanna Latiff and Ashley Tang
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Reuters) – A Malaysian court on Wednesday denied former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s request to suspend a 15-year jail term in connection with the 1MDB scandal, despite expectations he might be transferred to house arrest following a pardon in a separate case.
Najib has been in prison since 2022 after being convicted of graft and money laundering linked to the alleged theft of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state fund he co-founded while premier in 2009. He has denied wrongdoing.
In December, Najib was also convicted of abuse of power and money laundering in a separate case and handed a 15-year prison term and $2.8 billion in fines, which he asked to be suspended pending his appeal.
His lawyers argued he was in declining health and that the fines imposed on him were too large to pay, but Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nordin said there were no special circumstances warranting a stay of that sentence.
“The gravity of the offense is a more important public interest consideration, which this court must have regard to,” the judge said in dismissing the request.
Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he would file a fresh application for a stay at the Court of Appeal.
GLOBE-SPANNING SCHEME
US investigators have said that around $4.5 billion was siphoned from 1MDB in a complex, globe-spanning scheme, with more than $1 billion ending up in accounts linked to Najib. He has said he was misled about the source of the funds he received.
Wednesday’s decision is a setback for Najib, who last month received a second royal pardon related to his initial conviction, which will allow him to serve the remainder of that sentence at home. The previous king, in 2024, cut in half his 12-year term.
Najib’s transfer to house arrest is pending payment of a 50 million ringgit ($12.25 million) fine.
His 15-year jail sentence is due to begin after his house arrest ends in August 2028.
His political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), launched a fundraising drive for supporters to help Najib, who says he cannot pay the fine because his bank accounts are frozen.
The latest royal pardon has deepened divisions within the administration of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, which includes the UMNO.
Anthony Loke, the leader of the Democratic Action Party, the largest party in Anwar’s ruling coalition, offered to resign as transport minister a day after the decision to pardon Najib was announced.
Loke has said he would stay in cabinet until Najib starts his house arrest.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Ashley Tang; Editing by Martin Petty, David Stanway and Thomas Derpinghaus)
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