Malaysia Former PM Najib Razak appeals corruption conviction
Malaysia’s highest court will today hear the criminal appeal of convicted former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Najib was arrested by Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2018 and convicted two years later by a trial court on seven charges, including abuse of power and money laundering. The former premier was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and fined $47.3 million. A three-judge intermediate appellate panel unanimously affirmed his conviction.
What is now known as the 1MDB scandal—which involved the embezzlement of almost $10 million through former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International—has not only rocked Malaysian politics but has also led to international calls for a new anti-corruption legal regime.
Do not expect Najib to escape liability in the short-term. Even if his conviction is reversed or vacated, the former prime minister faces 42 other graft charges and is widely regarded as a face of corruption in the public sector. In the medium-term, the successful prosecution of Najib will likely empower Malaysia’s governing coalition, despite former political association with Razak. It may also lead to the strengthening of the Anti-Corruption Commission as an independent law enforcement agency. In the long-term, expect further calls for an international body to address corruption, such as an international anti-corruption court.
