Malaysia court discharges ex-PM Najib from one of his 1MDB cases

[KUALA LUMPUR] Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak succeeded in setting aside another one of his court cases involving troubled state fund 1MDB, in a rare victory for the jailed politician.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday (Jun 20) granted Najib a discharge, a reprieve that doesn't amount to an acquittal, on three counts of money laundering breaches related to SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
A discharge is a ruling that leaves room for the prosecution to lay the same charges in the future.
High Court Judge K Muniandy ruled that the case had been long delayed as the deputy public prosecutor was not prepared for the trial. The most appropriate way forward was to discharge the accused without granting him an acquittal, he told the court.
'Once the accused is charged in court, the charge cannot be hanging over its head for an indeterminate or indefinite period,' Muniandy said. 'That would be harsh and illegal.'
This follows a decision in March 2023 to free him from another 1MDB-linked charge. Najib will still remain in prison over a separate corruption conviction linked to the state fund. His jail term was cut by half to six years due to royal intervention last year, sparking criticism against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government.
Najib had applied in 2023 to set aside the money laundering charges, which was first brought against him in 2019, and make up one of multiple trials he faces in relation to 1MDB.
The state fund took shape under his time as prime minister and became the focus of a scandal that spawned probes in Asia, the US and Europe. He has maintained his innocence.
Anwar rose to power in November 2022 on an anti-graft drive, and officials have since discharged a key ally, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – Najib's party colleague – from a criminal case, while conducting probes on Anwar's political rivals. The current premier has denied interfering in the decisions. BLOOMBERG

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CNA

4 hours ago

• CNA

Money laundering charges dropped against former Malaysia PM Najib in US$6.34 million case linked to 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR: Ex-Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak was on Friday (Jun 20) granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in a money laundering trial linked to a former subsidiary of the scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The High Court ruled that there was nothing to show the prosecution was able to proceed with the case for the time being. Najib, 71, faced three money laundering charges filed in February 2019. He was accused of receiving RM27 million (US$6.34 million) in illegal proceeds from SRC International through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts in July 2014. Judge K Muniandy said there had been a plethora of postponements in the case, indicating the prosecution was not ready to proceed. 'The circumstances of the case lean in favour of the accused whereby the prosecution, as of today, is not ready to proceed with the trial of the preferred charges against the accused,' the judge was quoted as saying by news portal Free Malaysia Today. A discharge not amounting to acquittal means the accused is released from current charges, but the prosecution retains the right to reinstate those same charges in future. Najib is currently serving a jail term for a separate conviction of corruption and money laundering for illegally receiving about US$10 million from SRC International. He was in July 2020 found guilty of misappropriating SRC International funds involving the transfer of RM42 million into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015. He has been in Kajang Prison since August 2022, after the Federal Court upheld the High Court decision. In February 2024, his jail term was halved from 12 to six years by the Pardons Board and his fine was reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million. The former premier is fighting to serve the rest of his jail term at home, and has filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against a former attorney-general for allegedly failing to reveal a royal addendum order allowing him to do so.

AsiaOne

7 hours ago

• AsiaOne

Malaysia drops 1MDB-related money laundering charges against ex-PM Najib, Malaysia News

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's High Court has discharged but not acquitted jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak of money laundering charges in a long-running case involving a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, his lawyer said on Friday (June 20). Najib has been in prison since August 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering over funds misappropriated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, from which Malaysian and US authorities say about US$4.5 billion (S$5.7 billion) was stolen in a complex, globe-spanning scheme. He was also facing three separate money laundering charges over RM27 million (S$8.1 million) allegedly misappropriated from SRC. The case had repeatedly stalled since 2019 due to procedural delays, prompting the Kuala Lumpur High Court to grant Najib's request for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Friday, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters. Muhammad Shafee said the decision was a fair one, as the prosecution remained free to re-file the charges once they were ready to proceed. "So (Najib) isn't left waiting or as they say, no longer has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head," he said. The attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Friday's decision was the second time 1MDB-linked charges filed against Najib have been dropped. Last year, a court allowed another DNAA request due to procedural delays in a corruption case against the ex-premier and the country's former treasury chief. [[nid:713825]] In 2023, he was also acquitted on separate charges of tampering with a government audit into 1MDB. Najib is still awaiting a verdict in the biggest trial he faces over the 1MDB scandal, with the court expected to hear closing arguments in October. He has denied all of the charges brought against him. Najib is also bidding to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, and has sought to compel the government to confirm the existence of a royal order that he says would allow him to do so. [[nid:718574]]

Straits Times

7 hours ago

• Straits Times

Malaysia drops 1MDB-related money laundering charges against ex-PM Najib

FILE PHOTO: Prison officers escort former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, as the jailed politician leaves the court during a break in proceedings, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File Photo KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's High Court has discharged but not acquitted jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak of money laundering charges in a long-running case involving a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, his lawyer said on Friday. Najib has been in prison since August 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering over funds misappropriated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, from which Malaysian and U.S. authorities say about $4.5 billion was stolen in a complex, globe-spanning scheme. He was also facing three separate money laundering charges over 27 million ringgit ($6.4 million) allegedly misappropriated from SRC. The case had repeatedly stalled since 2019 due to procedural delays, prompting the Kuala Lumpur High Court to grant Najib's request for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Friday, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters. Muhammad Shafee said the decision was a fair one, as the prosecution remained free to re-file the charges once they were ready to proceed. "So (Najib) isn't left waiting or as they say, no longer has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head," he said. The attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Friday's decision was the second time 1MDB-linked charges filed against Najib have been dropped. Last year, a court allowed another DNAA request due to procedural delays in a corruption case against the ex-premier and the country's former treasury chief. In 2023, he was also acquitted on separate charges of tampering with a government audit into 1MDB. Najib is still awaiting a verdict in the biggest trial he faces over the 1MDB scandal, with the court expected to hear closing arguments in October. He has denied all of the charges brought against him. Najib is also bidding to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, and has sought to compel the government to confirm the existence of a royal order that he says would allow him to do so. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.