Malaysia’s Najib gets 12 years in jail for 1MDB-linked graft case
Al JazeeraEx-prime minister found guilty of corruption in landmark verdict, but remains free pending the outcome of an appeal. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to serve 12 years in jail after a court in Kuala Lumpur found him guilty of corruption in the first of several cases linked to the alleged theft of billions of dollars from the state fund, 1MDB. Malaysia’s Najib guilty of all charges in 1MDB-linked graft case He then ordered Najib to pay a fine of 210 million ringgit and gave him 12 years in jail on one count of abuse of power, 10 years each for three counts of criminal breach of trust and 10 years each for three counts of money laundering. But the former prime minister’s lead defence lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said Najib was “not part of the conspiracy” to the defraud the government, laying the blame on party-loving fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low. When news of the guilty verdict reached Najib’s supporters gathered outside Kuala Lumpur’s High Court some cried while others shouted, “Long live my boss.” Some also condemned the judge’s verdict as “political vengeance”.