Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has abandoned his legal challenge seeking to complete his prison sentence from home, according to Malaysian media outlet The Edge, which cited court documents on Monday.
The former leader was convicted on multiple corruption charges stemming from his involvement in the massive 1MDB financial scandal that cost the country billions.
Najib has been incarcerated since August 2022, serving a six-year term after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering charges. This represents just one of multiple criminal cases tied to allegations that billions were siphoned from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a government investment fund he created in 2009 during his time as prime minister.
The former prime minister pursued home confinement after Malaysia’s pardons board, led by the country’s previous monarch, reduced his sentence by half in 2024.
Najib maintains that the pardons board’s ruling included a supplementary directive from the king permitting him to complete his sentence under house arrest, which he claims government officials have disregarded.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected Najib’s house arrest request on December 22, prompting him to file an appeal.
Court documents show Najib has now dropped that appeal without the option to submit a new one, with the Court of Appeal confirming the withdrawal, The Edge reported Monday. The withdrawal was documented in correspondence from Najib’s legal team and the court dated April 3 and April 6.
Neither Najib’s attorneys nor the Attorney General’s office responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
This latest legal defeat compounds Najib’s troubles following his December conviction on additional charges that resulted in a 15-year prison term and a $2.8 billion fine for abuse of power and money laundering in the largest 1MDB-related trial to date.
Investigators from Malaysia and the United States determined that criminals stole at least $4.5 billion from the 1MDB government fund, with over $1 billion allegedly flowing into accounts connected to Najib.
Throughout the proceedings, Najib has maintained his innocence while expressing regret for his mismanagement of the scandal.
