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KUALA LUMPUR: After a seven-year trial, the High Court on Friday (Dec 26) sentenced Datuk Seri Najib Razak to 15 years in prison and a fine of RM11.4bil, in default 40 years’ imprisonment, after he was found guilty of 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power, involving RM2.3bil of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.
Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, now a Federal Court Judge, made this ruling after determining that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubt against the case against the 72-year-old former prime minister, at the close of the defence case.
Najib is currently serving his sentence at Kajang Prison after being convicted of embezzling RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd. He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210mil, but this was later reduced to six years in prison and a RM50mil fine following a reduction in sentence by the Pardons Board.
Following is the chronology of the 1MDB case:
Sept 20, 2018 - Najib was first charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with four counts of abuse of power, amounting to RM2.3bil in 1MDB funds, and 21 counts of money laundering related to the same amount. The charges were heard before Judge Azura Alwi.
Sept 27, 2018 - Najib paid the RM3.5mil bail ordered by the Sessions Court.
Oct 31, 2018 - The case was transferred to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Jan 9, 2019 - Najib filed two motions to challenge the appointment of former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as head of the prosecution team in the case.
March 1, 2019 - Najib’s application was rejected after the court found no evidence that Sri Ram would be biased in handling the case.
March 7, 2019 - Najib appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal.
May 7, 2019 - The Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s appeal.
June 17, 2019 - The Federal Court fixed hearing on Aug 7, 2019, for Najib’s appeal to remove Sri Ram from the prosecution team.
Aug 28, 2019 - The trial began before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
April 2, 2020 - The trial was postponed due to the Covid-19 movement control order (MCO).
May 4, 2020 - The trial resumed, following new guidelines for open court proceedings during the pandemic.
Oct 5, 2020 - The trial was rescheduled to Oct 19 after Najib completed a two-week home quarantine upon returning from Sabah election campaign.
Jan 5, 2021 - The trial began at the High Court after a four-month delay.
Sept 8, 2021 - The Court of Appeal ruled that Sri Ram would continue to lead the prosecution team.
Dec 14, 2021 - The trial was postponed due to Najib’s MySejahtera status categorising him as under quarantine. The court rejected a prosecution request for hybrid hearings with Najib and his lawyer attending via video conference.
Aug 25, 2022 - Najib attended the trial for the first time after being sentenced in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. He was sent to Kajang Prison on Aug 23 after the Federal Court upheld his 12-year prison sentence and RM210mil fine in the SRC case.
Jan 29, 2023 - Sri Ram, who had led the prosecution, died at the age of 79.
Jan 30, 2023 - The High Court postponed the trial following Sri Ram's sudden death, as he was considered a key figure in the prosecution team.
Aug 18, 2023 - The High Court rejected Najib’s request to remove Judge Sequerah from the trial. Najib filed the request due to the judge’s past connections with former 1MDB counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan.
Nov 6, 2023 - The High Court allowed the prosecution's request to amend three charges against Najib.
Jan 8, 2024 - Najib requested that the prosecution take action against the Netflix documentary Man on the Run, which he claimed was prejudicial and contemptuous of his ongoing case.
May 30, 2024 - The prosecution closed its case after six years and 235 days of hearings, with 50 witnesses having testified.
Aug 20, 2024 - Najib withdrew his appeal to remove Judge Sequerah from hearing his case.
Oct 3, 2024 - Judge Sequerah scheduled the ruling on whether Najib would be required to enter his defence for Oct 30.
Oct 24, 2024 - Najib, through his son Datuk Mohamad Nizar, issued a public apology to the people of Malaysia for the issues related to 1MDB during his tenure as Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
Oct 30, 2024 - Najib was ordered to enter his defence on 25 charges after the court found the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.
Dec 2, 2024 - Najib began giving his defence testimony as the first witness.
Jan 24, 2025 - Najib completed his defence testimony after 26 days in court, presenting a 678-page witness statement in four volumes.
May 6, 2025 - The defence closed its case after calling 26 witnesses, including Najib.
Oct 21, 2025 - The defence presented its oral submissions, concluding on Oct 29.
Oct 29, 2025 - The prosecution began its rebuttal, finishing its oral arguments on Oct 30.
Nov 4, 2025 - Defence counsel presented rebuttal arguments, and the court set Dec 26 for the final judgment on the defence case.- Bernama
