Malaysia’s High Court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday to an additional 15 years in prison and billions of ringgit in fines after convicting him in the largest trial linked to the 1MDB corruption scandal.
The ruling adds to Najib’s existing jail term and deepens the legal consequences of a case that has reshaped Malaysia’s political landscape.
Najib, 72, was found guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving funds traced to the state investment fund.
The court ordered that the new sentence will begin after the completion of his current prison term stemming from an earlier 1MDB-related conviction.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah imposed 15 years in prison for the abuse of power charges and five years for each money laundering charge.
All sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total additional prison term of 15 years.
The court also imposed fines totaling 11.4 billion ringgit and ordered the recovery of 2.08 billion ringgit in assets under money laundering laws.
Failure to comply with the financial penalties would result in further jail time.
The judge rejected Najib’s claim that the funds were political donations from Saudi Arabia, finding the explanation unsupported by evidence.
He ruled that letters presented to support the donation claim were forged and that the money originated from 1MDB.
Najib’s lawyer said the defense would appeal, criticizing the ruling and alleging serious errors in the judgment.
The conviction marks a major milestone in one of the world’s largest financial scandals, which involved the looting of billions from 1MDB.
Najib denied wrongdoing throughout the trial and argued that he was misled by financier Low Taek Jho, who remains at large.
The court dismissed claims that Najib was an unwitting victim, citing evidence of a close working relationship between the two men.
Najib is already serving a reduced sentence from a previous 1MDB-linked case after a partial royal pardon in 2024.
His latest conviction extends the period he is expected to remain behind bars beyond his earlier projected release date.
The ruling comes days after a court rejected Najib’s bid for house arrest, further narrowing his legal options.