By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Malaysian courts have granted former Prime Minister Najib Razak house arrest following a royal pardon that reduced his 12-year prison sentence and a fine of 210 million ringgit ($12 million), according to reports on Wednesday.
The decision comes after the Pardons Board, chaired by the country's king, halved Najib's jail term and significantly cut the financial penalty imposed for his role in the 1MDB corruption scandal.
Najib, who has been serving his sentence since August 2022, was convicted of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($9.4 million) from SRC International, a former unit of the state fund 1MDB.
The partial pardon and house arrest arrangement mark a significant development in one of Malaysia's most high-profile corruption cases, which contributed to Najib's coalition losing the 2018 general election.
