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Malaysia
This Week in AsiaPolitics

Malaysia’s Najib Razak faces ‘20 years in jail’ as court date arrives

Disgraced former prime minister to be charged on Wednesday in connection with multibillion-dollar scandal at state investment fund 1MDB

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Najib Razak arrives at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for questioning last month. So far, there have been no public images of his arrest. Photo: AFP
Bhavan Jaipragas

Malaysia’s disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak, who is to be charged in court on Wednesday in connection with the multibillion-dollar financial scandal at the 1MDB state fund he helped set up, is facing the prospect of a lengthy jail term.

Najib’s arrest by anti-corruption investigators on Tuesday afternoon is the most dramatic development yet in the ongoing probe into the fund ordered by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad soon after the May 9 general election.

Najib Razak’s 1MDB chickens come home to roost

Najib’s arrest comes three years to the day after an investigation by The Wall Street Journal revealed some US$700 million of 1MDB funds had flowed to Najib’s personal accounts.
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A task force Mahathir set up to investigate the scandal said in a brief statement that Najib was to be charged on Wednesday in relation to allegations involving SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB unit.

It did not state what the charges were or if there would be subsequent arrests. The national news agency Bernama said Najib could face 10 counts of committing criminal breach of trust, which carry a maximum punishment of 20 years each.

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Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Photo: AFP
Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Photo: AFP
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