PETALING JAYA: The payment for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's RM50mil fine has been made to the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced.
He said the fund, which was launched on Sept 18 to assist Najib, had achieved its fundraising target.
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"Umno wishes to announce that the total donations collected through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund have reached the target and are sufficient.
"We have also completed all payment procedures to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning," he said in a statement on Friday (Nov 6).
Asyraf Wajdi said the party has officially closed the special account set up to receive public donations for the fund.
"There is no longer a need for crowdfunding for this purpose.
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"Umno wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Allah and appreciation to all Umno members across Malaysia and members of the public who have continuously contributed to the designated account since the first day," he said.
The Star had earlier reported that the presence of Najib's special officer Ahmad Lutfi Azhar at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex had sparked questions about whether the former prime minister's RM50mil fine would be paid on Friday (Nov 6).
When approached by The Star, Ahmad Lutfi said, "A statement will be issued once things are processed."
On Sept 18, it was reported that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim had granted Najib a conditional pardon in his SRC International Sdn Bhd case, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The order, however, was conditional upon Najib paying the RM50mil fine.
Shortly after, Umno launched the "Najib Razak Solidarity Fund" to crowdfund the RM50mil amount as Najib's personal and family assets remain frozen.
