KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 – The High Court has set Oct 14 to hear former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s application for a stay of execution regarding his 15-year prison sentence and RM11.4 billion fine following his conviction in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial.
Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin fixed the hearing date during case management on Friday, which was attended by Najib’s lead defense counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam.
“The court fixed Oct 14 for the hearing since you have filed the certificate of urgency. File the written submissions any time before Oct 14,” Judge Noor Ruwena directed.
Najib was present in court for the case management proceedings.
On Dec 26 last year, the High Court convicted Najib on multiple counts involving 1MDB funds, sentencing him to 15 years’ imprisonment and a total fine of RM11.4 billion.
Following the ruling, Najib filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal on Dec 29 last year against the conviction and sentence, but did not initially file for a stay of execution at that time.
In the 1MDB verdict, the court sentenced Najib to 15 years’ imprisonment for each count of abuse of power alongside a collective RM11.4 billion fine, with a default penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment should he fail to pay the fine.
On the 21 money laundering charges, Najib received five years’ imprisonment per count with no financial penalty imposed. The court ordered all custodial sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 15-year jail term.
The 1MDB sentence was set to run consecutively, commencing only after Najib completes his separate six-year sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, which ends on Aug 23, 2028.
Last Friday, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the payment of an RM50 million fine.
During Friday’s court proceedings, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa was seen arriving at the court complex with her two sons. When asked by reporters when the RM50 million fine linked to the royal pardon would be settled, she responded, “I don’t know.”
–NMT
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