Malaysia’s Najib Razak fails in final attempt to set aside 1MDB-linked corruption conviction
- In a 4-1 judgment, Malaysia’s highest court ruled that the ex-prime minister had failed on all three counts in his challenge to overturn his conviction
- The verdict also puts a pin in any lingering hopes of a political comeback by Najib, who will continue to serve his 12-year jail term
Last year, Najib earned the dubious distinction of being the nation’s first former premier to be jailed after the Federal Court maintained his 2020 conviction for misappropriating 27 million ringgit (US$6.1 million) in funds from SRC International.
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Malaysia's ex-PM Najib Razak fails in final bid to overturn 1MDB-related corruption conviction
In a ruling that was split 4-1 among the five-member bench, the Federal Court found that Najib had failed on all three counts in his challenge to set aside his conviction.
In his application, Najib had submitted additional evidence to bolster his assertion of conflict of interest in the involvement of High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who convicted the former prime minister in 2020.
Najib had also sought to challenge the Federal Court’s decision to proceed with his earlier appeal despite his counsel applying to withdraw from the case due to unreadiness, adding that he was denied natural justice.
The applicant is the author of his own misfortune
“There has been no prejudice and no failure of justice,” said Justice Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, who chaired the bench, when reading out their judgment.