Malaysia: Justice rejects the appeal of former Prime Minister Najib Razak
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak after his appearance in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 3, 2019. AP - Vincent Thian
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The Malaysian judiciary on Friday rejected the appeal filed by former Prime Minister Najib Razak against the 12-year prison sentence he is serving for corruption in a case related to the public fund 1MDB.
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With our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Juliette Pietraszewski
The Federal Court, Malaysia's highest court, rejected the former prime minister's appeal. Confirming, at the same time, his conviction. A decision validated by four judges to one. The former Malaysian prime minister will therefore have to spend 12 years behind bars.
Najib Razak claimed that he had not received a fair trial. The former prime minister sought to challenge the court's decision, saying the judge had been influenced by a conflict of interest, or that his defence had not had enough time to review the entire documents. "There was no bias or breach at the previous hearing," the court replied on Friday, March 31.
Najib Razak was convicted of embezzling 42 million Malaysian ringgit (more than 8.7 million euros) in a case related to the public fund 1MDB, initially intended to develop Malaysia's economy. He still faces dozens of other charges.
In any case, the Federal Court's decision closes the door to any return to politics. The former prime minister has exhausted all legal avenues to overturn his conviction. The only way to obtain an early release would be a royal pardon.
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- Malaysia
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