A Malaysian court upheld former leader Najib Razak's guilty verdict, from the first of a series of trials linked to troubled state fund 1 MDB, with a judge referring to his actions as a national embarrassment. Malaysia s relentless demand for Chips is dead in the midst of none The World s Relentless Demand for Chips.
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Najib failed to overturn his 12 year prison sentence after the Court of Appeal Wednesday affirmed that he was guilty of all seven charges in the case involving 42 million ringgit $10 million of funds belonging to SRC International, a former unit of 1 MDB. He immediately applied for a stay of execution that would keep him out of jail while he appeals to Malaysia's highest court.
Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said in reading a 200-sided judgement that Najib's interest in the SRC went beyond his public office. We are in full agreement with Najib knowing that funds entering his personal accounts are proceeds from illegal activities, which is why he rejected the former prime minister's claims that his actions were in the national interest.
Abdul Karim said that this is not something that can be said to have been done in national interest, instead of national embarrassment.
The outcome is a setback for Najib, 68, who spent the years since the 2018 shock election rehabilitating his image and maintaining his innocence. The appeals process could take years, and he might be able to participate in a federal election that must be held by 2023.
In July of last year, Najib was convicted of money laundering, corruption and criminal breach of trust. He was fined 210 million ringgit on top of the jail term and faces more trials on dozens of other 1 MDB related charges.
The money from SRC ended up in Najib's personal account and was spent by him, claiming it was a no-strings donation from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Al-Saud who passed away in 2015. This Arab donation story is a concoction. The judge said the money is from the SRC and has been fully established.
The Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed Najib's application to add new evidence in order to quash his conviction. The hearing was held virtually despite a request by Najib's legal team for a delay after one of his lawyers tested positive for Covid. Wednesday s decision was also held via Zoom.
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