Cover image via Bernama
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Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been found guilty in all 25 charges in the high-profile 1MDB case
In a judgment delivered today, 26 December, Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that the 72-year-old was guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering.
Sequerah took more than two hours to deliver his decision, bringing to a close a legal battle that has stretched over seven years.
According to The Star, the breakdown of Najib's convictions is as follows:
• Four charges of abuse of power
• Nine charges of receiving proceeds of illegal activities
• Five charges of using proceeds of illegal activities
• Seven charges of transferring proceeds of illegal activities
Meanwhile, the New Straits Times reported a detailed breakdown of the misappropriated funds:
1. Najib received USD681 million (RM2.08 billion) belonging to a 1MDB subsidiary. The sum was transferred from Tanore Finance Corporation's account into Najib's Account 9694 in nine separate transactions between 22 March and 10 April 2013.
2. Between 2 and 14 August 2013, five cheques totalling RM22.649 million were issued — RM20 million to UMNO, RM100,000 to UMNO Batu Kawan, and three cheques totalling RM2.549 million for speechwriting and social media management services.
3. In five transactions between 2 and 23 August 2013, RM2.034 billion (USD620 million) was transferred from Najib's Account 9694 back to Tanore Finance Corporation.
4. On 27 and 30 August 2013, RM161.41 million was moved in two transactions from Najib's Account 9694 to his new personal AmIslamic Bank account (Account 1880).
Following the ruling, Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, requested a short adjournment before mitigation proceedings begin
Shafee reportedly requested a 30-minute break, which Sequerah granted.
When proceedings resume, the court is expected to hear Najib's defence team present mitigation before sentencing.
