Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is set to leave prison for house arrest after his party paid a 50 million ringgit fine required under a royal pardon. He still faces a separate 15-year sentence in a second 1MDB-related case.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is set to leave prison to serve the remainder of a six-year sentence under house arrest after his political party paid a 50 million ringgit fine, according to multiple news reports.
Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), said it completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday. The party said it was closing a special Najib Razak Solidarity Fund account established to receive public contributions, as there was no longer a need for public crowdfunding.
"UMNO has completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning," the United Malays National Organisation said in a statement on Friday.
Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon in September, allowing him to serve the rest of his prison term at home provided he paid the fine.
Najib's lawyer, Farhan Shafee, said they had obtained the transfer papers and would deliver the house arrest order to Kajang Prison, where Najib has been held since 2022. Asked whether Najib would be moved home on Friday, he said: "If the process goes in accordance to plan."
An AFP reporter saw a silver car with Najib inside leaving the Kajang Prison compound, followed by a convoy of vehicles. Police cordoned off the road to his residence and set up tents for crowd control.
Najib, prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in July 2020 over money siphoned from former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International. A pardons board later halved the term and reduced his fine to 50 million ringgit. His sentence in this case is scheduled to be completed by August 2028.
The house arrest applies only to this reduced six-year sentence. It does not cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in a second 1MDB-linked trial. Najib is appealing that sentence, which is only set to start once the current term ends. He has also been fined 11.4 billion ringgit for his role in the corruption scandal.
The transfer to house arrest could create tension in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's multi-party government, as Anwar's Pakatan Harapan alliance has strongly opposed leniency towards Najib. Najib remains influential in UMNO, which is part of the governing coalition.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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