Malaysia's Najib convicted of power abuse

Lawyer laments 'unfair' 1MDB trial

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Supporters of former malaysian prime minister Najib Razak hold banners featuring his portrait outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya yesterday.

(REUTERS)

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty yesterday of abusing his power in the 1MDB graft scandal, which saw billions plundered from the now-defunct sovereign wealth fund.

His conviction is likely to heap years onto the six-year term he is already serving for a separate case related to the 1MDB fund.

Presiding Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah convicted the 72-year-old former leader yesterday on all four counts of abuse of power. Najib will also face a verdict on 21 counts of money laundering linked to the fund, which sparked probes in several countries, from Singapore to the United States.

While Najib, the son of one of the country's founding fathers, was groomed for leadership from a young age, he experienced a spectacular fall from power as public anger mounted over the corruption scandal.

Since Najib's 2018 election loss, investigations under successive governments have ensnared him and wife Rosmah Mansor in graft allegations.