Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak faces 21 money laundering charges for allegedly committing the offences at the same bank between 22 March and 30 August 2013. He is also facing 4 charges of abuse of power related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The High Court just announced its verdict today (26 December) in the high-profile case against the former Prime Minister in relation to the 1MDB corruption trial.
Najib Razak
The High Court found Najib Razak guilty on two abuse of power charges linked to 1MDB
According to Harian Metro, the Kuala Lumpur High Court has found Najib guilty of two abuse of power charges related to the misappropriation of 1MDB funds.
“The prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt the case against the accused for the first charge.
“Accordingly, I convict the accused on the first charge under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act,” Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah said.
For the first charge, Najib was found guilty of using his position as Prime Minister, Finance Minister, and Chairman of the 1MDB Advisory Board to obtain a bribe of RM60,629,839.43, according to Utusan Malaysia.
For the second charge, he was found guilty of using his position to obtain a bribe of RM90,099,927.28.
Najib’s defence of Arab donations dismissed by High Court
Four donation letters from Arab sources, which Najib relied on for his defence in the 1MDB case, were found to be fake.
Judge Sequerah said that Najib had made no verification to ensure the funds were indeed from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and further emphasised that the letters were never submitted to the court in their original form.
“The action was an attempt by the accused to legitimise his claim that the funds he received were donations,” Judge Sequerah said.
The High Court also found that 1MDB’s top management followed the instructions of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), because they believed each directive came from Najib, who was then both Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
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