Overview
- Malaysia’s High Court found the former prime minister guilty on four abuse-of-power counts and 21 money-laundering counts tied to roughly RM2.28–RM2.3 billion routed from 1MDB.
- Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said evidence showed an “unmistakable bond” with fugitive financier Jho Low and called Najib’s narrative of Saudi donations implausible, with letters likely forged.
- The court rejected claims the case was a political witch hunt, citing extensive bank records, witness testimony and documentary evidence.
- Najib is already imprisoned from a 2020 1MDB-linked conviction, a 12-year term later halved by the Pardons Board in 2024, and his recent bid for house arrest was denied.
- Sentencing has yet to be delivered and an appeal is expected, as the verdict threatens to intensify strains within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition that includes Najib’s UMNO party.