Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak Found Guilty in Second 1MDB Trial Involving $543 Million
Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak has been found guilty of money laundering and abuse of power in his second 1MDB-related trial involving $543 million.
He's already behind bars, but Najib Razak's legal battles have taken a turn for the worse. The Kuala Lumpur High Court found the former Malaysian Prime Minister guilty of abuse of power and money laundering on December 26, 2025, in a major trial linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. The verdict centers on the illegal transfer of approximately 2.2 billion ringgit (about $543 million) from the sovereign wealth fund into his private bank accounts.
A Verdict Built on 'Incontrovertible Evidence'
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah delivered a stern ruling, convicting Najib on all 25 counts, including 4 charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering. During the seven-year legal battle, the court examined how 1MDB funds were misappropriated to finance high-end properties, a superyacht, and even the Hollywood production of 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. While each charge carries a potential sentence of 15 to 20 years, the court hasn't announced the final sentencing yet.
The contention by the accused that the charges against him were a witch hunt and politically motivated were debunked by the cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence against him.
Najib's Continuing Legal Turmoil
This trial marks Najib's second major conviction. In 2020, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for embezzling $9.9 million, a sentence that was later halved to 6 years through a royal pardon. Currently serving time in Kajang Prison, he was originally set for release in August 2028. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was misled by advisers like the fugitive financier Jho Low. However, the prosecution successfully argued that Najib used his immense power as PM and Finance Minister to facilitate the massive theft from the state fund.
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