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Najib Razak speaks to journalists outside the Federal Court on August 23, 2022Image source, Reuters
Image caption, Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak was sentenced to 12 years in jail in July 2020

The top court in Malaysia rejected the appeal of the former Prime Minister, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The charges relate to the 1MDB scandal.

The court refused to delay his sentence. He has denied any wrongdoing.

A court in 2020 found him guilty of seven counts and sentenced him to eight years in prison.

He was sentenced to 12 years' jail and fined over 50 million ringgit.

According to the defence team, the funds in his accounts were donated by the Saudi royal family.

He was misled by financial advisers, including Jho Low, who has been charged in the US and Malaysia but maintains his innocence.

The removal of the Chief Justice from the panel presiding over the case was requested by the lawyer in order to prevent a final verdict.

They claimed that she could be biased because of her husband's post on Facebook.

The chief justice declined the request because she said the post was before the charges were brought against the prime minister.

The chief justice said that the five-judge panel unanimously found that the conviction was safe and that the appeal was not worth anything.

She said that the defence was so inconsistent and incredible that it had not raised any doubts about the case.

There are five trials relating to 1MDB.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The High Court is expected to deliver her verdict in the solar hybrid case on 1 September.

Analysis box by Jonathan Head, South East Asia correspondent

In a region where power is unaccountable and hierarchy rigidly enforced, it is almost unthinkable for a senior political figure to go to jail.

President Suharto, who was forced to resign after mass protests against his rule, never went to jail. That taboo has been broken by Malaysia.

Even though he can apply for a review of the appeal, he has little chance of success.

It's too early to write him off. He is still influential in his UMNO party despite his popularity in some parts of Malaysian society. It might push for a royal pardon if it does well in the election.

Since UMNO lost its monopoly on power in a scandal, Malaysian politics have become more fluid.

He may have to live with the bare living conditions of a prison for some time since he is used to being rich and famous.

  • Najib Razak
  • 1MDB corruption scandal
  • Malaysia