Malaysia's ex-PM Najib fails to overturn conviction, to serve 12 years in jail

Malaysia's former premier Najib Razak on Tuesday (Aug 23) failed in his final appeal against a graft conviction, which is set to see him serve 12 years in jail for misappropriating millions of funds from a company linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Malaysia's highest court, the Federal Court, on Tuesday upheld Najib's conviction on seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving SRC International, a company that was a subsidiary of state fund 1MDB.

In July 2020, Najib, 69, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million (S$65.3 million), after being found guilty of receiving about RM42 million from SRC International into his personal bank account.

The verdict was upheld by a three-member Court of Appeal bench in December last year. But he was allowed to post bail and live freely, allowing him to make a political comeback and become influential again in his party Umno. 

The five-member Federal Court bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat ruled against Najib on Tuesday, after a week in which his defence team - which saw a revolving door of lawyers - refused to make any written or oral submissions in defence of their client.

Tengku Maimun said the defence was inconsistent and had failed to raise a reasonable doubt.

"These appeals are therefore unanimously dismissed and the conviction and sentence are affirmed," she said before adjourning the proceedings.

The other Federal Court bench members were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, and senior judges P. Nallini, Mary Lim Thiam Suan, and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

Earlier on Tuesday, Najib failed in a last minute bid to recuse the Chief Justice from chairing the panel hearing the appeal, citing a Facebook post made by her husband Zamani Ibrahim in 2018, in which he criticised Najib's leadership.

Before the bench delivered its decision, Najib had addressed the court and asked for another two months for his new lawyers to prepare his appeal. 

He was seated in the dock when the decision was read out. His wife Rosmah Mansor, who also faces graft charges in an unrelated case, and his three children were seated behind him.

The case is one of Najib's first five trials. He faces other court dates involving funds at 1MDB and other government bodies, as well as allegations of audit tampering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.