Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim on Friday granted a conditional pardon allowing former Malaysian leader Najib Razak, jailed for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.
Four years after Mr Razak was convicted and jailed for his involvement in a multibillion-dollar financial scandal, the Malaysian monarch granted him a conditional pardon that would see him pay a $12 million fine and serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
“King Sultan Ibrahim has consented to grant a conditional pardon to Najib Razak, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028,” the prime minister’s legal department said in a statement on Friday.
Mr Razak’s conditional pardon was “subject to the payment of a fine of 50 million Malaysian Ringgit ($12.2 million)”, the statement said, adding the ex-prime minister “must comply with all set conditions. If he fails to comply with any of these terms, the conditional pardon will be automatically revoked, and he must immediately serve the remainder of his sentence in prison”.
Mr Razak served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018. He was found guilty of embezzlement in 1Malaysia Development Berhad while in office.
Investigators traced over $1 billion from 1MDB to accounts linked to Mr Razak.