Malaysian court drops money laundering charges against jailed ex-leader Najib Razak
Najib was previously convicted in a graft case tied to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund, or 1MBD, and began serving time in 2022, after losing his final appeal. He also faces other graft trials.
The High Court 's decision to drop the charges alleging Najib received 27 million ringgit ($6.3 million) in illegal proceeds to his bank accounts came after procedural delays by the prosecution, which saw the case dragging on for six years, Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said. Prosecutors could not give the court a timeline for when they will be ready for the trial, he added.
Prosecutors reserve the right to revive charges against Najib and a discharge does not mean an acquittal, Shafee said. But, Najib was happy and can now focus on the main 1MDB trial, he added.
Najib set up 1MDB shortly after taking power in 2009. Investigators allege that more than $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by his associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases. The scandal upended Najib's government and he was defeated in the 2018 election.
Last November, the High Court also discharged Najib and the former treasury chief in another 1MDB-linked corruption case after repeated delays by the prosecution. The pair can still be charged for the same offence in the future. In 2023, Najib was acquitted on separate charges of tampering with a government audit into 1MDB.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail in his first graft trial but the sentence was halved by the Pardon Boards in 2024. Najib alleged the board had issued a home arrest order for him to complete his sentence at home, but the case is still being heard in court.
Najib awaits his verdict in another key case that ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal, which has prompted investigations in the U.S. and several other countries.
The defense in May closed their case on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over $700 million from 1MDB that went into Najib's bank accounts, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount. Closing arguments are scheduled in October, after which the court will set a date for verdict.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
New Orleans mayor indicted on federal corruption charges
The New Orleans mayor, LaToya Cantrell, was indicted on Friday on federal corruption charges after spending roughly three years under investigation. The indictment against Cantrell came after the September 2024 indictment of local businessman Randy Farrell, who was charged with exchanging gifts with the mayor so that she would allegedly fire a municipal employee who was investigating Farrell's building inspection company. Among the alleged gifts were tickets to a January 2019 New Orleans Saints football game, which was being played with an appearance at the Super Bowl on the line, a cellphone and lunch at an upscale Ruth's Chris Steak House in the city. Cantrell had also drawn scrutiny for an alleged affair with a now retired New Orleans police officer who had served as her bodyguard. The bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, allegedly claimed he was at work while he was actually engaging in 'a personal and romantic relationship' with the mayor. Vappie was charged as a co-defendant in Friday's indictment against Cantrell, full details of which were not immediately available, as Guardian reporting partner WWL Louisiana reported. He had previously been charged with wire fraud and lying to FBI agents in July 2024, shortly after he retired from New Orleans' police force. The allegations called to mind the 2018 scandal that cost the Nashville mayor, Megan Barry, her job and centered on an affair with her bodyguard, Robert Forrest. Prosecutors who had obtained the 2024 charges against Vappie have alleged he researched that case online two years earlier. Both Vappie and Farrell have pleaded not guilty to the charges previously filed against them. While the Donald Trump-led US justice department obtained the indictment against Cantrell about seven months into the Republican's second presidency, the federal investigation into the mayor began while Joe Biden – her fellow Democrat – was in his second full year in the Oval Office. Cantrell's lawyer, Eddie Castaing, confirmed to the Associated Press on Friday that an indictment was returned against his client. He also said her name was read aloud by a federal magistrate judge as a defendant. Cantrell, a native of Compton, California, had been a New Orleans city council member before winning election as its mayor in November 2017. She thus became New Orleans's first female mayor and was re-elected four years later. Her second term – which saw the unexpected death of her husband in August 2023 – is due to end in January 2026. Cantrell was term-limited from seeking another stint as mayor, and several candidates have signed up to run to replace her in a primary election set for October. Cantrell on Friday became the first New Orleans mayor charged with federal crimes while still in office. The federal investigation into her began with 2022 subpoenas issued with respect to an image consultant that she employed. Only one other person who has served as New Orleans mayor has been indicted by the US government on federal corruption charges during the city's 307-year history: Ray Nagin. Nagin was New Orleans's mayor when the failure of federal levees there during Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 destroyed the city and caused about 1,400 deaths. He was convicted in 2014 on charges of bribery, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, filing false tax returns and conspiracy, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Associated Press contributed reporting
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Federal grand jury indicts New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell after long corruption probe
A federal grand jury indicted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Friday after a long corruption investigation. Cantrell's lawyer, Eddie Castaing, confirmed to The Associated Press that an indictment was returned, and her name was read aloud by a federal magistrate judge as a defendant. The charges weren't immediately known. The indictment is the culmination of a long-running federal investigation into Cantrell, the first female mayor in the City's 300-year history. Cantrell, who is term-limited, will leave office in January. The Democrat has clashed with City Council members during a turbulent second term and survived a recall effort in 2022.
BreakingNews.ie
4 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Andrew Tate's £180,000 Aston Martin supercar deposit seized by police
Police have seized £180,000 (€208,539) from social media influencer Andrew Tate used as a deposit on an Aston Martin. Tate paid towards the special edition Valhalla in July 2021, Devon and Cornwall Police said. Advertisement A version of the £850,000 (€984,768) supercar appeared in the James Bond film No Time to Die. Influencer Andrew Tate paid towards the special edition Valhalla car in 2021, Devon and Cornwall Police said (Alamy/PA) Cash used to pay the deposit came from tax evasion and money laundering, the force said. The six-figure sum can be added to the £2.7 million (€3.13 million) worth of criminal funds seized in December 2024 from Tate and his brother Tristan. Police obtained account freezing and forfeiture orders at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week. Advertisement The Tate brothers did not oppose the orders. Half of the funds can be distributed to good causes by the force, while the treasury will receive the other half. The cash deposited with Aston Martin originally came from a cryptocurrency account, police said. No tax or VAT had ever been paid on these funds. Advertisement Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft said: 'This latest judgement follows on from our applications made against the Tate brothers which resulted in a successful ruling in December 2024 and the forfeiture of nearly £2.7 million of criminal funds. 'From the outset we aimed to demonstrate that Andrew and Tristan Tate evaded their tax obligations and laundered money. 'People in Devon and Cornwall will benefit from the money seized and it will be reinvested to help prevent crime, aid victims and vulnerable people, and to boost good causes.'
