Malaysia appeal court upholds jail sentence on former PM

Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak (Photo: Bloomberg)

Hanoi (VNA) – A court of appeal in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on December 8 upheld former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 12 imprisonment sentence over his scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad sovereign wealth fund that contributed to his government’s downfall in 2018.

At the court, judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil dismissed Najib’s appeal and affirmed the High Court conviction on all seven charges.

At the first trial in 2020, the former PM and his cronies were accused of stealing billions of dollars from the investment vehicle and spending it on everything from high-end real estate to pricey art. As many as 42 million ringgit (9.9 million USD) from a former 1MDB unit were transferred to Najib's bank accounts.

The former leader is now expected to lodge a last-ditch challenge at Malaysia's top court, and could remain free on bail until that appeal wraps up./.