Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been cleared to move from prison to house arrest after his party raised 50 million ringgit (£12 million) to pay a fine imposed following his conviction over the 1MDB corruption scandal.
Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Shafee, said on Friday that he had received the order and would take it to Kajang prison. The transfer could take place later in the day if arrangements proceed as planned.
Najib has been in prison since 2022 after being convicted of corruption and embezzlement involving billions of dollars connected to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the state investment fund he co-founded while prime minister.
He denies wrongdoing and has said he was made the sole scapegoat for a complex international fraud scheme. Investigators have alleged that about $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion linked to Najib.
The United Malays National Organisation, Najib’s party, reportedly used crowdfunding to raise the fine because his bank accounts had been frozen.
The house arrest follows a decision by Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, in September to pardon Najib and allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
The decision is expected to have political consequences in Malaysia. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has publicly raised concerns about the pardon in his role as the country’s anti-corruption figurehead, while there has been speculation that he may have helped it proceed behind the scenes amid pressure from Najib’s party.
Najib was separately sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $2.5 billion in another major 1MDB case involving money laundering and abuse of power. He has appealed against that conviction and asked for the sentence and fines to be suspended, citing poor health and an inability to pay.
A judge rejected that request in September, saying that “the gravity of the offence is a more important public interest consideration”. Najib is due to return to prison to serve that sentence when his house arrest ends in 2028, although it remains unclear whether that will happen.
