Malaysian ex-PM Najib working on conditions to start house arrest, his lawyers say
“Malaysia's jailed former prime minister, Najib Razak, is working to fulfil the conditions to leave jail and begin his house arrest, including paying a 50-million-ringgit ($12-million) fine, his lawyer…”
Najib's ability to satisfy the condition "do not lie in his own hands" as a significant part of his assets, bank accounts and properties remain subject to freeze orders and enforcement proceedings by the government, the lawyers said in a statement.
Najib, prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was found guilty of corruption in relation to the embezzlement of billions of dollars tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state investment fund he co-founded while in power. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Malaysia's king agreed on Friday to let Najib Razak leave jail and serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. It was the second royal pardon over his conviction for his involvement in a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal.
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Read:South Korea court sentences ex-president to 2 years in jail in political funding case, media says. Malaysia's Prisons Department said in a statement on Sunday that it and the home affairs ministry were waiting for official written confirmation of the pardon before taking any action.
By law, the home affairs minister has the power to gazette any premises as a prison, which could be used to designate Najib’s home as a place to serve his sentence. Najib has been "deeply moved" by the support he has received from the public, the lawyers said.
The president of Najib's UMNO party, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said on Friday that a collection fund would be launched for party members and supporters to help Najib pay for the fine. The party had raised almost 1 million ringgit by Saturday noon, local media reported.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's multi-party government, which includes the DAP as well as Najib’s UMNO, has seen growing rifts over the government's response to issues of corruption.
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