Former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s story was so epic it was featured on Netflix.
The series that the former powerhouse husband-wife-duo is featured in is called Dirty Money.
And yes, it featured the 1MDB scandal.
A scandal that found the ex-PM Najib guilty of the charges today (28 July 2020).
His Charges
In total, Najib is facing seven charges today:
- one count of abuse of power
- three counts of criminal breach of trust
- and three counts of money laundering regarding the misappropriation of RM42 million (S$13.6 million) from SRC International
Each of the charges carries a prison term of 15 to 20 years.
Guilty of All Charges
High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who was presiding over the trial, finds Najib guilty of all seven charges.
He said that after considering all the evidence in this trial, he found that the prosecution has “proven its case beyond reasonable doubt”.
Najib’s supporters, on the other hand, felt that the trial and the decision was a politically motivated move.
He has also declared, in a Facebook post, that he will be appealing against the decision at the Federal court.
But wait, there’s more.
This Is Just The First Of Five Trials
Malaysia’s former prime minister isn’t facing just 7 charges.
He’s facing 42 counts of corruption, abuse of power and money laundering across five different court cases.
US authorities alleged that over US$4.5 billion (S$6.2 billion) was embezzled from the state fund, 1MDB, and spent to purchase yachts, paintings and high-end properties across the world.
Najib was also ordered to pay RM1.69 billion to the Inland Revenue Board for unpaid taxes.
The Timeline Of The 1MDB Saga
Now, in case you’re late to the party and you’re wondering if 1MDB and IMDb are the same since Najib is now a celebrity on a Netflix show, here’s a simple timeline to explain the whole saga:
2009
In July, then-PM and finance minister Najib Razak launched 1MDB, a “strategic development company driving new ideas and new sources of growth”.
Najib was the chairman on its board of directors.
