Malaysia’s High Court on Friday discharged but did not acquit former Prime Minister Najib Razak of money laundering charges in a long-standing case connected to a former entity of the infamous state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), as confirmed by his lawyer.
Najib has been incarcerated since August 2022, following his conviction for corruption and money laundering involving funds misappropriated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB. Malaysian and US authorities assert that approximately $4.5 billion was illicitly siphoned off through a complex, global scheme.
He was also confronting three additional money laundering charges related to 27 million ringgit ($6.4 million) allegedly embezzled from SRC.
His lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, informed reporters that the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Najib’s request for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Friday. This decision stemmed from repeated procedural delays in the case since 2019, which had stalled its progress.
Muhammad Shafee characterized the ruling as fair, emphasizing that the prosecution retains the right to re-file the charges once they are prepared to proceed. “So (Najib) isn’t left waiting or as they say, no longer has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head,” he stated.
The attorney-general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the development.
Friday’s decision marks the second instance where 1MDB-linked charges against Najib have been dropped. Last year, a court similarly approved another DNAA request due to procedural delays in a corruption case against the former premier and the country’s ex-treasury chief. In 2023, he was also acquitted of separate charges concerning the tampering of a government audit into 1MDB.
Najib still awaits a verdict in the most significant trial he faces related to the broader 1MDB scandal, with closing arguments anticipated in October. He has consistently denied all accusations brought against him.
Furthermore, Najib is seeking to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. He has initiated legal efforts to compel the government to verify the existence of a royal order that he claims would permit him to do so.
