Datuk Seri Najib Razak could remain behind bars until 2043 following the 15-year prison sentence imposed on him by the High Court yesterday, should all his appeals fail.
The former prime minister was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and fined RM11.38 billion after being found guilty of misappropriating RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). The verdict was delivered at about 9pm by High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Najib was convicted of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving funds siphoned from 1MDB. For each abuse of power charge, he was sentenced to 15 years’ jail, while each money laundering offence carried a five-year prison term. All sentences are to run concurrently.
For the four abuse of power charges, Najib was fined a total of RM11.38 billion, with additional jail terms of 10 years for each charge should the fines remain unpaid. The individual fines ranged from RM222.85 million to RM10.4 billion.
Justice Sequerah ruled that the 15-year prison term will only begin after Najib completes his current sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, as both cases involve separate transactions. Najib is currently serving a reduced six-year sentence at Kajang Prison for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds, following a decision by the Pardons Board.
Najib is due for release from the SRC sentence on Aug 23, 2028. Only then will the 15-year sentence for the 1MDB case commence, regardless of whether any additional imprisonment is imposed for failure to pay the fines.
The court also ordered Najib to return RM2.08 billion in recoverable sums under Section 55(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLA). Failure to do so could result in further imprisonment of two years and six months for each of nine money laundering charges.
If the sentence stands without reduction, Najib — now 72 — could remain in prison until the age of 90, extending his incarceration to more than two decades.
Following the sentencing, Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said an appeal against the High Court decision would be filed.
Najib was first charged in September 2018, with the trial commencing in August 2019. The case spanned nearly seven years, involved 50 witnesses and attracted international attention before the prosecution closed its case in May this year.
