Malaysia halts Najib's prison exit over royal pardon dispute

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has suffered another setback in his bid to leave prison and complete his sentence at home, after the Attorney General's office moved to suspend the arrangement despite confirmation that he had paid the required fine.

The intervention has raised fresh questions over the implementation of a conditional royal pardon granted to the 73-year-old former leader, who remains behind bars over his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal.

The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) announced on Friday, November 6, that it had requested a temporary halt to Najib's transfer to house arrest as it sought further clarification on the conditions attached to his pardon.

In its statement, the office said the suspension was necessary to allow additional examination of the royal decision, adding that Najib would continue serving his sentence at his current detention facility.

It said it had sought a "temporary suspension of the execution of the house arrest" pending further investigation into the terms of his pardon.

"During this period, his detention status shall be maintained in his existing place of detention, subject to the powers and instructions of the relevant authorities," it said.

Najib's lawyers, however, challenged the move, arguing that arrangements to release him from prison and place him under house arrest had already begun before the Attorney General's announcement.

"The process of releasing him into house arrest was underway when the AGC statement was issued," the legal team said, confirming that their client had not been released.

"We view the AGC statement as a disregard of His Majesty's order."

The dispute emerged hours after the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Najib's party, announced that it had completed payment of the 50 million ringgit ($12 million) fine imposed as part of his reduced sentence.

The party said it had "completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning".

Najib's aide, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, separately confirmed that the payment had been made, while his lawyer, Farhan Shafee, disclosed that the legal team had obtained documents needed to facilitate the former leader's transfer from prison.

Events at Kajang Prison briefly fuelled speculation that the transfer was taking place after Najib was seen leaving the facility in a silver car accompanied by a convoy of vehicles.

An AFP reporter witnessed the former prime minister departing the prison compound shortly after the payment announcement.

However, reporters did not see him arrive at his home, with a government minister explaining that the trip was for a dental appointment that had been arranged earlier.

The same convoy later returned to the prison compound after more than four hours, with police escorting the vehicles, according to an AFP reporter.

Previous attempts to secure house arrest

Najib's latest setback comes after a Malaysian judge rejected an earlier application in December last year seeking permission for him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.

The former leader was initially handed a 12-year prison sentence in July 2020 after being convicted in a case involving funds transferred from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investment fund.

In September, King Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon that reduced his original prison term by half and lowered his fine to 50 million ringgit.

The arrangement allowed him to serve the remaining period under house arrest, subject to payment of the penalty.

His sentence in the SRC International case is due to end in August 2028.

However, the former prime minister faces another lengthy period behind bars following a separate conviction connected to the wider 1MDB scandal.

Days after his December house arrest application was rejected, he was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison in another case linked to the financial scandal.

He was also ordered to pay 11.4 billion ringgit in fines over his involvement in the corruption scheme.

Najib is challenging the 15-year sentence through an appeal. The additional term is scheduled to begin after he completes the six-year sentence arising from the earlier case.

The multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal

The corruption scandal that brought Najib's political career to an abrupt end involved the diversion of billions of dollars from Malaysia's state investment fund, 1MDB.

Established in 2009 under his administration, the fund was intended to attract investments for major infrastructure and urban development projects.

However, investigations later revealed that large sums had been channelled away through complicated financial transactions involving shell companies.

US and Malaysian prosecutors estimate that approximately $4.5 billion was diverted from the fund.

Prosecutors accused Najib of using his authority as prime minister, finance minister and chairman of the 1MDB advisory board to facilitate the transfer of money into his personal accounts.

Investigators said some of the stolen funds were spent on luxury properties, an expensive yacht and valuable artworks, including paintings by Monet and Van Gogh.

Najib, whose father was among Malaysia's founding fathers, had been prepared for a political career from a young age and eventually rose to the country's highest political office.

His political fortunes changed dramatically as allegations surrounding 1MDB triggered public anger, contributing to his defeat in the 2018 general election.

Investigations conducted under successive governments have also drawn his wife, Rosmah Mansor, into corruption allegations.

Meanwhile, fugitive financier Jho Low, regarded by investigators as the mastermind behind the financial scandal, remains on the run.

Low is accused of playing a central role in the schemes that moved billions of dollars out of 1MDB through offshore companies and complex financial arrangements, using his close connections to Najib and other senior officials.