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If there’s one court case in Malaysia that deserves its own television series, it’s the People Vs Najib Razak.
The former Prime Minister has so many charges that it has become quite a feat for anyone to remember it all.
Fact # 1 Datuk Seri Najib Razak remains a jailed man
Making headlines this morning, Najib has been granted a DNAA over three charges concerning RM27 Million SRC International funds.
Judge K Muniandy granted the DNAA motion filed by Najib’s defence team, led by Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
The judge said the circumstances leaned in favour of Najib as the prosecution was not ready to proceed with trial.
The case has been pending for six years since charges were levelled against Najib in 2019.
Speaking to reporters today, Shafee said his client was happy that the number of charges faced by his client is decreasing.
DNAA stands for discharge not amounting to an acquittal. This means an accused is released from their charges but they are not fully cleared of it. Should evidence come up later, they can still be prosecuted for the same offence.
But he walks? Yes, but not quite.
If this was Najib’s only court case, he is a free man. Unfortunately for the jailed former Umno president, this is just one of many.
Not his first DNAA
Najib and former treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Irwan Serigar Abdullah were granted a DNAA in the case where they were charged in 2018 with six counts of criminal breach of trust involving government funds worth RM6.6 billion related to a settlement agreement between 1MDB and Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
The DNAA was granted last year following delays and failure to produce key documents by the prosecution.
1MDB audit tampering
Najib and then‑1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy were charged in December 2018 with abusing his position by directing unauthorized amendments to the 1MDB final audit report before it was tabled in Parliament in March 2016.
Najib was cleared of manipulating the 1MDB audit report due to lack of evidence tying him to those alleged changes. Arul Kanda was also acquitted and discharged.
RM42 million SRC conviction
Fact #2 Najib was jailed on charges involving RM42 million SRC International funds
Back in 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted Najib on seven charges; including criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering related to RM42 million misappropriated from SRC International (a former subsidiary of 1MDB).
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million.
This conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2021 and the Federal Court in 2022.
So off to the Kajang Prison Najib went.
The 12-year jail term has since been halved by the Pardons’ Board. Najib is fighting for a house arrest, citing a royal addendum, but that matter remains an ongoing battle.
1MDB – Tanore
So, with three out of the way and one conviction for seven charges, how many more legal headaches are there?
In May this year, the defence closed their case for Najib’s 1MDB-Tanore trial. Written submissions are due on 30 September, and will be followed by oral submissions in October.
This trial has spanned over seven years where Najib faces four charges of power abuse and 21 charges of money laundering involving RM2.27 billion of 1MDB funds.
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