Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday lost a bid to delay the enforcement of a 15-year jail sentence for corruption.
Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022 in a corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund that outraged the nation and caused the downfall of his long-ruling party.
Last year he was convicted and sentenced to another 15 years and fined 11.4 billion ringgit (USD 2.8 billion) in a second, bigger graft trial tied to the 1MDB fund. He was found guilty of abuse of power and money laundering related to over $700 million channelled into his bank accounts from the fund.
That sentence was due to take effect after he completes his current sentence in August 2028. The High Court on Wednesday dismissed his application to postpone the enforcement of his second sentence, saying there was no merit. Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said they would challenge the decision in a higher court. Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after taking office in 2009.