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A Malaysian court has convicted former prime minister Najib Razak for abuse of power and money laundering in his second major trial for a multi-billion-dollar state funds scandal.
The 72-year-old was accused of embezzling nearly 2.3 billion Malaysian ringgit ($569 million) from the nation's sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
On Friday afternoon, December 26, a judge found him guilty in four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering. The court has yet to announce his sentence.
The former PM is already in jail after he was convicted years ago in another case related to 1MDB.
Friday's verdict came after seven years of legal proceedings, which saw 76 witnesses called to the stand. Following his 2018 election defeat, Najib faced multiple trials related to the scandal.
The verdict, delivered in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya, is the second blow in the same week to the embattled former leader, who has been imprisoned since 2022.
On Monday, the court rejected his application to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
However, the former prime minister retains a loyal base of supporters, who claim that he's a victim of unfair rulings and who have showed up at his trials calling for his release.
On Friday, dozens of people gathered outside the court in Putrajaya in support of Najib.
Separately, Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was sentenced to ten years in jail in 2022 for bribery. She is free on bail pending an appeal against her conviction.
