Kuala Lumpur, Dec 27 (V7N)- A Malaysian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison on charges of abuse of power, embezzlement, and money laundering.

The verdict was delivered on Friday, following Najib’s conviction on 25 charges related to the misappropriation of public funds. According to the court, Najib illegally transferred approximately 2.3 billion Malaysian ringgit into his personal bank accounts.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of 11.4 billion ringgit. Failure to pay the fine could result in an additional 40 years in prison, the court said.

Najib Razak, 72, has already been in prison since 2022, after being convicted in a separate case linked to the massive corruption scandal involving a state investment fund. That case drew global attention and became one of the largest financial corruption scandals in the country’s history.

The latest verdict marks another major legal setback for the former leader, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2018.

END/SMA/AJ