KUALA LUMPUR(National Times)- Malaysia’s attorney general blocked on Friday the transfer of former prime minister Najib Razak to house arrest for the remainder of his graft sentence, saying it needed more clarification on his royal pardon.
The 73-year-old former leader was jailed for his role in one of the largest-ever global plunders of a sovereign wealth fund, the now-defunct 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
King Sultan Ibrahim granted him a conditional pardon in September, allowing him to serve out the rest of his sentence at home provided he pay a $12 million fine.
Najib’s party said on Friday it paid the fine.
But the attorney general’s office said in a statement that it had sought a “temporary suspension of the execution of the house arrest” pending further investigation into the terms of his pardon, adding Najib would remain in prison.
“During this period, his detention status shall be maintained in his existing place of detention, subject to the powers and instructions of the relevant authorities,” it said.
Najib’s legal team rejected the attorney general’s decision.
“The process of releasing him into house arrest was underway when the AGC (attorney general) statement was issued,” the team said, confirming Najib remained in detention.
“We view the AGC statement as a disregard of his majesty’s order.”
Brief trip out
Earlier on Friday, the United Malays National Organisation said it had “completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning”, referring to the 50m ringgit ($12m) penalty.
Najib’s aide, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, confirmed the payment, and the former leader’s lawyer Farhan Shafee said they had already obtained papers to transfer the former leader out of jail.
Shortly afterwards, Najib left the prison compound in a silver car, followed by a convoy of vehicles.
Najib did not appear at his house, according to reporters, and a minister said he was just out for a previously scheduled dental appointment.
The same convoy that whisked Najib out of the prison compound returned more than four hours later under police escort.
Money siphoned
A Malaysian judge late last year rejected an original request to allow Najib to serve the rest of his time at home.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in July 2020 in a first trial over vast sums of money siphoned from a former 1MDB subsidiary called SRC International Sdn Bhd.
But a pardons board later halved the term, and his fine was reduced to $12m.
His sentence in this case is scheduled to be completed by Aug 2028.
Days after Najib’s December bid for house arrest was turned down, the ex-PM was sentenced to another 15 years behind bars in a separate trial, also linked to the 1MDB scandal.
Najib has also been fined $2.5 billion for his role in the corruption scandal, which took place more than a decade ago.
