Najib Razak: Facing New Trials Amid 1MDB Scandal

Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak is set to face a new trial over alleged abuse of power and money laundering related to 1MDB. He faces 25 charges and up to 20 years in prison. Previously convicted in 2022, Najib continues to deny wrongdoing, attributing his actions to misinformation.

In Kuala Lumpur, the High Court ruled on Wednesday that former Prime Minister Najib Razak must stand trial again facing allegations tied to the 1MDB scandal. The charges include four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, with Najib accused of receiving 2.3 billion ringgit from 1MDB.

Najib, now 71, had been previously sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022 related to similar charges. However, this sentence was halved, and he's expected to be released in 2028. Investigators allege that at least $4.5 billion was siphoned from the state fund 1MDB, which Najib founded in 2009.

Prosecutors brought 50 witnesses, including a former central bank governor, to establish their case in the current trial. Although Najib has expressed disappointment at the ruling, he plans to testify in his defense, maintaining that he was unaware of wrongdoing and believed he received political donations from the Saudi royal family.

(With inputs from agencies.)