In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of 2.8 billion euros. This is not the first time Razak has been under investigation: he was previously convicted in another case related to 1MDB and is currently serving his sentence.
The investigation established that hundreds of millions of euros were deposited into Razak's personal accounts. The defense argued that the former prime minister became a victim of manipulation and that the money was allegedly "political donations" from Saudi Arabia. However, the High Court of Kuala Lumpur confirmed the existence of irrefutable evidence that Razak was aware of all financial transactions.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed the defense's claim regarding the Saudi origin of the funds, noting that the documents presented by the alleged donor were found to be fake, and the money indeed came from the 1MDB fund. The court also rejected arguments that Razak had become an unwitting victim of the actions of former fund officials and financier Low Taek Jho.
According to the case materials, witness testimonies confirm the existence of an "incontrovertible connection" between Razak and Low, who acted as his trusted representative and intermediary. The court noted that the former prime minister did not verify the sources of the large sums and took no action against Low; on the contrary, he used the funds and protected his interests by dismissing the attorney general and the head of the anti-corruption agency who were conducting the investigation.
Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery in 2022 and is currently free on bail, awaiting the consideration of her appeal.
