It’s happening, peeps! Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was arrested yesterday (July 3) and had to spend the night in a lock-up at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya before heading to court today (July 4).
According to Malaysiakini, four charges were read out to Najib in court in an investigation linked to the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. SRC International Sdn Bhd was a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) before it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry in 2012. The charges are connected to how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) was siphoned from SRC International into Najib’s personal bank account.
He was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code and one count under Section 23 of the MACC Act where he had abused his position as a public officer.
Here are the charges against Najib:
1. First charge of criminal breach of trust
Between 24 and 29 December 2014, the accused, in his capacity as a public servant – holding the post of prime minister and finance minister as well as the Advisor Emeritus for SRC International Sdn Bhd allegedly received RM27 million from SRC International at an Ambank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur.
Punishment: If found guilty, Najib stands to face a minimum of two years and maximum of 20 years in jail. Plus, he can also be slapped with a fine.
2. Second charge of criminal breach of trust
Between 24 and 29 December 2014, the accused, in his capacity as a public servant – holding the post of prime minister and finance minister as well as the Advisor Emeritus for SRC International Sdn Bhd, allegedly received RM5 million from SRC International at an Ambank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur.
Punishment: If found guilty, Najib can be jailed for a minimum of two years and a maximum of 20 years. In addition, he can also be slapped with a fine.
3. Third charge of criminal breach of trust
Between 10 February and 2 March 2015, the accused, in his capacity as a public servant – holding the post of prime minister and finance minister, as well as the Advisor Emeritus for SRC International Sdn Bhd allegedly received RM10 million just from SRC International at an Ambank branch in Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur.
Punishment: If found guilty, Najib can be jailed for a minimum of two years and a maximum of 20 years. He can also be punished with a fine on top of his jail term.
4. Fourth charge for graft under MACC Act
Between 17 August 2011 and 8 February 2012, the accused, in his capacity as a public servant – holding the post of prime minister and finance minister, allegedly received RM42 million, when he was involved in the decision by the Malaysian government to provide guarantees for loans up to RM4 billion from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International at the Prime Minister’s office at Putrajaya.
Punishment: He can be jailed for a maximum of 20 years and fined for more than five times the amount of money that was received as bribe.
At the time of writing, the case has been transferred to the High Court as Malaysia’s new attorney-general Tommy Thomas will lead the prosecution against Najib. They are focusing on SRC International at the moment as other 1MDB-related transactions had taken place through foreign banks and companies. Najib has claimed trial for all four charges against him.
Sit tight, because this is just the beginning! This is going to be the trial of the century in Malaysia!
Also read: RM1.1 Billion Worth of Valuables Seized From Najib’s Residences, Here’s What They Include