A Malaysian court on Wednesday, Nov 27, dismissed corruption charges tied to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal against jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak and former treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah.
The charges, dating back to 2018, involved six counts of criminal breach of trust over government funds amounting to 6.6 billion ringgit (US$1.48 billion). These funds were linked to a settlement agreement between the state-owned 1MDB fund and Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company. Both Najib and Irwan consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted the pair a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), citing procedural delays and the prosecution’s failure to disclose critical documents. Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, stated that the court’s decision aligned with legal principles.
A DNAA allows prosecutors to reopen the case in the future, preserving their right to refile charges. The judge emphasized that the prosecution faced no prejudice from the ruling but expressed concern over the lengthy delay in advancing the trial.
“This case has been pending since 2018, yet trials could not proceed despite numerous scheduled dates. Such delays are unacceptable,” the judge remarked.
While Najib had sought a permanent stay on proceedings, the court dismissed the request due to the lack of a formal application from his legal team.
Najib’s Influence Amid Legal Troubles
Najib, who established 1MDB during his premiership in 2009, is already serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering in a separate case linked to the scandal. Although his sentence was later reduced by Malaysia’s pardons board, he recently issued a public apology for his role in the 1MDB saga, maintaining he was unaware of any illegal activities.
The former leader has also sought to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest and filed a legal challenge to confirm the existence of a royal order supporting his claim.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration announced plans to introduce a law enabling house arrests for certain offenses by next year but denied it was tailored to benefit Najib or other high-profile figures accused of corruption.
The 1MDB scandal, one of the largest financial frauds in history, has continued to cast a shadow over Malaysia’s political and legal landscape.