Published Fri, Jun 20, 2025 · 09:57 AM
[KUALA LUMPUR] Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak succeeded in setting aside another one of his court cases involving troubled state fund 1MDB, in a rare victory for the jailed politician.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday (Jun 20) granted Najib a discharge, a reprieve that doesn’t amount to an acquittal, on three counts of money laundering breaches related to SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
A discharge is a ruling that leaves room for the prosecution to lay the same charges in the future.
High Court Judge K Muniandy ruled that the case had been long delayed as the deputy public prosecutor was not prepared for the trial. The most appropriate way forward was to discharge the accused without granting him an acquittal, he told the court.
“Once the accused is charged in court, the charge cannot be hanging over its head for an indeterminate or indefinite period,” Muniandy said. “That would be harsh and illegal.”
This follows a decision in March 2023 to free him from another 1MDB-linked charge. Najib will still remain in prison over a separate corruption conviction linked to the state fund. His jail term was cut by half to six years due to royal intervention last year, sparking criticism against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Najib had applied in 2023 to set aside the money laundering charges, which was first brought against him in 2019, and make up one of multiple trials he faces in relation to 1MDB.
The state fund took shape under his time as prime minister and became the focus of a scandal that spawned probes in Asia, the US and Europe. He has maintained his innocence.
Anwar rose to power in November 2022 on an anti-graft drive, and officials have since discharged a key ally, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – Najib’s party colleague – from a criminal case, while conducting probes on Anwar’s political rivals. The current premier has denied interfering in the decisions. BLOOMBERG
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