After the Supreme Court denied his appeal, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak was sent to prison to begin serving a 12-year term.The allegations against the 69-year-old are related to a corruption scandal involving the state-owned wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He was convicted in July 2020, but was released on bail throughout the appeal process. Najib's bid to postpone his sentencing was also dismissed by the court. He has maintained his denial of any misconduct. A court found him guilty on seven counts in 2020, centred on a total of 42 million ringgit ($9.4 million; £8 million) moved from SRC International, a former affiliate of 1MDB, into his personal accounts. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a fine of 210 million ringgit ($46.8 million; £39.7 million).
The defence team said that Najib was misled into believing the cash in his accounts were gifts from the Saudi royal family rather than misappropriations from the public budget. They also said he was duped by financial advisers, including fugitive financier Jho Low, who has been prosecuted in both the United States and Malaysia but maintains his innocence.
On Tuesday, Najib's counsel demanded the removal of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat from the panel presiding over the case, in what was viewed as an attempt to delay a final judgement. They alleged she was prejudiced since her husband had posted a Facebook post critical of Najib in 2018.
However, the chief judge denied the appeal, stating that the position existed before Najib was charged. The chief justice stated in her decision that the five-judge panel unanimously determined that Najib's conviction on all seven charges was secure and that the appeal was "devoid of any grounds." "The defence is so contradictory and unbelievable that it has not generated reasonable doubt on the case," she added.The allegations heard on Tuesday are merely the first of five trials related to 1MDB.
Rosmah Mansor, Najib's wife, is also facing money laundering and tax evasion accusations, to which she has pleaded not guilty. She is also facing corruption accusations in connection with a solar hybrid project, and the High Court is expected to rule on her case on September 1.