Malaysia's former prime minister wins appeal in house arrest bid
(MENAFN) On Monday, Malaysia's Court of Appeal granted former Prime Minister Najib Razak the opportunity to pursue a legal challenge that would allow him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. In a 2-1 ruling, the court permitted Najib to appeal the rejection of his request to compel the government to present an "addendum order" from the former king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, which would allow him to serve his sentence at home.
Najib, who is currently serving time for corruption, had initially sought to have the government confirm the existence of the royal order in question. His bid to verify this alleged order was dismissed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in July 2023. The High Court had refused to order the government to provide evidence of the royal directive that would have allowed him to serve his sentence outside of prison.
Najib, 70, was convicted in 2020 for criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for accepting illegal funds from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, a state investment fund. However, earlier in 2024, a pardon board commuted his original 12-year prison sentence, reducing it by half and also lowering his fine.
The legal battle continues as Najib seeks a way to serve his sentence under more lenient conditions, despite his serious convictions related to one of Malaysia's most notorious corruption cases.
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