The Malaysian Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid by imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to review his corruption conviction related to the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB government fund scandal, putting an end to Najib's legal attempts to appeal the verdict. In this context, Federal Court Judge Vernon Ong confirmed that the panel voted by majority to reject Najib's request for a review of the conviction, adding that a review is only granted in "very limited and exceptional circumstances."
Investigators have stated that around $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund, which Najib helped establish during his first year as Prime Minister in 2009, and that more than $1 billion ended up in accounts linked to Najib. Consequently, a high court found him guilty in 2020 of breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering.
Najib was imprisoned last year, sentenced to 12 years in prison by a lower court. He is facing three additional trials related to corruption in the fund and other government agencies.
