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Malaysia Fines Ex-PM Najib $2.8 Billion for 1MDB, Adds Jail Time

December 26, 2025, 1:24 PM UTC
Kok Leong Chan
Kok Leong Chan

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, already jailed for his role in the 1MDB scandal, faces another 15 years in prison and a fine of 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion) after being convicted of abuse of power and money laundering in connection with the failed state-run fund.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah announced the sentence after earlier finding Najib guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 of money laundering. Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing and his lawyer said he plans to appeal.

It’s one of the biggest thefts in history. More than $4 billion from Malaysian’s state-owned investment fund was siphoned off and spent on items including a private jet, a super-yacht, mansions and even Hollywood movie The Wolf of Wall Street. The 1MDB corruption scandal toppled the Malaysian government and set off investigations across the globe. (Video by Tom Gibson & Carla Howe) Source: Bloomberg)

Friday’s verdict could add to political tensions in the ruling coalition ...

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