In a landmark judicial decision with profound political implications, Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak received an additional 15-year prison sentence and a staggering $2.8 billion fine on Friday for his central role in the colossal 1MDB financial scandal. The 72-year-old politician, already serving time since 2022 on previous convictions, was found guilty on all 25 charges brought against him—four counts of abuse of power and twenty-one counts of money laundering.
High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah delivered the verdict after five hours of meticulous reading, systematically dismantling Najib’s defense that he had been deceived by other parties involved in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund. The judge characterized this assertion as stretching “the imagination into the realms of pure fantasy.”
The sentences will run concurrently following the completion of his current term in 2028. Beyond the prison time, the court ordered Najib to pay fines totaling 11.39 billion ringgit and to forfeit assets worth 2.08 billion ringgit. Failure to comply will result in additional jail time.
This case represents just one segment of the broader 1MDB corruption scheme, which U.S. and Malaysian investigators estimate diverted at least $4.5 billion from the state fund Najib co-founded in 2009. More than $1 billion allegedly flowed into accounts connected to the former leader.
The stolen funds financed unprecedented luxury, including a private jet, a $120 million superyacht, luxury real estate, fine art, jewelry, and even the production of the 2013 Hollywood film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The scandal involved Malaysian financier Jho Low, who leveraged connections with A-list American celebrities during lavish parties that symbolized the audacious scale of the corruption.
During the verdict reading, Najib appeared visibly defeated, frequently sitting with his head down and shoulders slumped, marking a dramatic fall for one of Malaysia’s most influential and divisive political figures.