High Court finds Najib guilty of all seven charges in misappropriation of RM42m SRC International funds
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Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex July 28, 2020. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa |
KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 ― Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been found guilty by the High Court today for abuse of power and misappropriating over RM42 million from 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
In delivering his judgement to a packed courtroom, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said Najib was complicit in the deposits of RM42 million from SRC International in his private account.
“In conclusion after considering all evidence in this trial, I find that the prosecution has successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused, I therefore find the accused guilty and convict the accused on all seven charges,” he said.
Also present in court for today's proceeding were Najib's children Datuk Mohd Nizar Najib, Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz and Norashman Najib.
Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was not present.
Top Umno leaders were also seen in court to lend support including Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who also has a trial himself later today, and deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The conviction could also mean an end to Najib's political career in Malaysia, as it jeopardises Najib's chances of participating in the next election and the disqualification as an elected representative.
The SRC International trial is one of five criminal trials that involved him.
Najib’s charges
Of the seven charges he was accused of, Najib is accused of committing three counts of criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, and a separate charge of abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same sum.
For the remaining three charges, he is accused of laundering RM42 million.
For abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, a person convicted faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of RM10,000 or up to five times the sum or value of the bribe, whichever is higher.
Criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code carries a penalty of a minimum of two years’ and a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment, whipping and fine.
As for money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, the punishment is a maximum 15 years’ jail term and a fine of up to five times the amount of money laundered or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
In delivering his judgement to a packed courtroom, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said Najib was complicit in the deposits of RM42 million from SRC International in his private account.
“In conclusion after considering all evidence in this trial, I find that the prosecution has successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused, I therefore find the accused guilty and convict the accused on all seven charges,” he said.
Also present in court for today's proceeding were Najib's children Datuk Mohd Nizar Najib, Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz and Norashman Najib.
Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was not present.
Top Umno leaders were also seen in court to lend support including Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who also has a trial himself later today, and deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The conviction could also mean an end to Najib's political career in Malaysia, as it jeopardises Najib's chances of participating in the next election and the disqualification as an elected representative.
The SRC International trial is one of five criminal trials that involved him.
Najib’s charges
Of the seven charges he was accused of, Najib is accused of committing three counts of criminal breach of trust over a total RM42 million of SRC International funds while entrusted with its control as the prime minister and finance minister then, and a separate charge of abusing the same positions for self-gratification of the same sum.
For the remaining three charges, he is accused of laundering RM42 million.
For abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, a person convicted faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of RM10,000 or up to five times the sum or value of the bribe, whichever is higher.
Criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code carries a penalty of a minimum of two years’ and a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment, whipping and fine.
As for money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, the punishment is a maximum 15 years’ jail term and a fine of up to five times the amount of money laundered or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
is all this 7 charges the complicated one or the straightforward one?
ReplyDeleteComplicated only for KT, straightforward for the rest of us.
DeleteThe 1MDB story is only complicated, with dozens and dozens of twists and turns and denials, if you believe Najib.
DeleteMahathir is so cruel...
ReplyDeleteBased on evidence of course Guilty but sure got appeal.....on technicality, hotshot loryar will say Gopal got no lesen to prosecute, improperly appointed, but hotshot himself got court case, charged with accepting 9.5 million from Jibby, money he claimed was for un-invoiced legal services from 20-30 years ago helping UMNO, yeah right, didn't declare or pay tax some more, like Jibby.
ReplyDeleteThe most damning thing about the Judge's judgement was his rejection of the Saudi donation Defence.
ReplyDeleteThis opinion of a learned judge carries considerable weight in Jibby's other court case, the Mother Load 1MDB one, where his defence is the same: It was a Saudi Donation, Jho Low & Others Tricked and Used Me.
The Saudi donation is central to Jibby's defence yet he is unable to produce a single witness from Saudi Arabia to back this up.
NOT ONE.
All he has are a few badly written letters purportedly from a Saudi Prince, but more likely they was written by a Fat "Prince".
QUOTE
Mohd Nazlan, in reading out his two-hour-long judgment at the High Court, earlier ruled that there was no evidence that Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah had ever stated any intention to provide monetary assistance to Najib or Malaysia when both state leaders met in 2010....
....“Regardless of (which) segment of the Arab royalty (was involved) and the accused’s confidence in Jho Low, the accused failed to confirm on the (veracity of the) donation from King Abdullah (made the defence argument) improbable,” Mohd Nazlan said in his judgment.
On the four purported Arab donation letters upon which Najib claimed to have relied, Mohd Nazlan said such a defence was unsustainable and the letters simply did not hold water.
“The letters took great pain to say the donation is not corruption. Yet the accused, as the prime minister of a country, did not see (that it was) prudent to check and verify (the authenticity of) the letters.
“It is very difficult to not characterise the entire Arab donation as self-serving,” Mohd Nazlan added.
UNQUOTE
In the good old days of 1789 French Revolution, they would be erecting the guillotine platform at Dataran Merdeka tonight....wakakaka
ReplyDelete