Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak's US$12.3 million fine paid by UMNO, paving way for house arrest

Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak's US$12.3 million fine paid by UMNO, paving way for house arrest The "solidarity fund" set up for former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had reached the target amount, UMNO said. KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party said on Friday (Nov 6) that it has paid the RM50 million (US$12.3 million) fine imposed on him, paving the way for him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest as part of a conditional pardon granted by Malaysia’s king. "The total funds raised through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund launched on Sep 18 ... have reached the target amount and are sufficient," party secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a statement. "UMNO completed all payment procedures with the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning. "UMNO hereby officially closes the special Najib Razak Solidarity Fund account, which was established to receive public contributions. There is no longer a need for public crowdfunding for this purpose." The announcement comes amid Malaysian media reports that Najib could be released from Kajang prison on Friday, after a police presence was seen around his residence in Langgak Duta in Kuala Lumpur. Najib is expected to serve his house arrest at the property, which authorities had inspected and assessed in September, according to local media. Earlier on Friday, Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor told reporters that neither she nor her family had been informed of any developments, including the alleged payment, media outlet Free Malaysia Today reported. On Wednesday, Najib's lawyer Shafee Abdullah, amid speculation over the impending payment, said he had yet to receive instructions on whether his client would pay the fine. Earlier reports said that Najib would serve his sentence alone under the supervision of the prison department, with family visits also restricted. His lawyer Hasnal Rezue Merican said the location was chosen because no family members lived there, allowing it to be used as a prison facility, the New Straits Times reported. Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa previously said that the Langgak Duta residence had been vacant since her father was imprisoned on Aug 23, 2022. On Sep 18, Malaysia’s king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison term - until Aug 23, 2028 - at home, subject to the payment of the RM50 million fine, among other conditions. The decision followed a meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board chaired by Sultan Ibrahim. Najib’s UMNO party subsequently launched the ‘Najib Razak Solidarity Fund’ to help raise money for the fine, collecting more than RM1 million within a day of its launch. On Tuesday, UMNO’s Asyraf said the fundraising drive had yet to meet its target, although contributions continued to come in daily, averaging between RM5,000 and RM10,000. Some members of the public had donated as little as RM1, he added, as reported by the New Straits Times. Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar had also told reporters on Sunday that Najib has yet to pay the fine. Najib’s legal team had previously said that his ability to fulfil the payment “does not lie in his own hands” as a significant part of his assets remain subject to freezing orders and enforcement proceedings. Najib was initially sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million in July 2020 on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power. The charges involved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015. After securing a partial royal pardon in January 2024 his jail term was halved and his fine reduced to RM50 million. The 73-year-old began serving his jail term in Kajang Prison in August 2022, but even after the partial royal pardon, Najib had insisted that the then-King, Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, had issued an addendum order for him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.