Malaysian justice on Friday rejected the appeal filed by former Prime Minister Najib Razak against the 12-year prison sentence he is serving for corruption in a case linked to the public fund 1MDB.
With our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Juliette Pietraszewski
The Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest court, dismissed the former prime minister’s appeal. Confirming, at the same time, his condemnation. A decision validated by four judges against one. The former Malaysian Prime Minister will therefore have to spend 12 years behind bars.
Najib Razak claimed he had not received a fair trial. The former prime minister sought to challenge the court’s decision, saying the judge had been influenced by a conflict of interest, or that his defense had not had enough time to review all the documents. “ There was no bias or breach in the previous hearing “, replied the court this Friday, March 31.
Najib Razak had been sentenced for having embezzled 42 million Malaysian ringgits (more than 8.7 million euros) in a case linked to the public fund 1MDB, initially intended to develop the Malaysian economy. He still faces dozens of other charges.
The decision of the Federal Court in any case closes the door to any return to politics. The former prime minister has exhausted all legal avenues to quash his conviction. The only way to get an early release would be a royal pardon.