PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution has urged the High Court to impose the maximum 20-year jail term on Datuk Seri Najib Razak following his conviction for misappropriating RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
The prosecution also sought a record fine of RM11.4 billion, calculated as five times the gratification involved in the abuse of power charges, alongside a penalty under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib said the sentences must run consecutively to his current jail term in Kajang Prison for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
He said this when pressing for a deterrent sentence against Najib, who was found guilty of four counts of abuse of power and money laundering before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah earlier today.
Akram described Najib’s offences as among the “worst imaginable cases” of financial crime in Malaysia, calling it “kleptocracy at its worst” and “an absolute betrayal of trust,” given his former roles as prime minister, finance minister and 1MDB board chairman.
The prosecution also highlighted the devastating impact on national finances, noting that total 1MDB liabilities stand at nearly RM50 billion, with the government having already paid about RM42 billion and an outstanding debt of approximately RM13 billion.
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