Malaysia's disgraced former PM leaves jail for house arrest after embezzling millions

Malaysia's disgraced former PM leaves jail for house arrest after embezzling millions

Najib Razak was convicted for his role in the billion-dollar scandal involving the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

Malaysia's disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived home to begin serving the rest of a jail sentence for corruption under house arrest.

There was a big media presence at his Kuala Lumpur residence to see the 73-year-old return from prison in an SUV late on Tuesday night, escorted by a heavily armed police convoy.

Najib's return ended a four-year prison stint after he was found guilty over the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the country's sovereign wealth fund.

The 1MDB scandal brought down his government and made headlines around the world when it came to light a decade ago, embroiling prominent figures from Malaysia to Goldman Sachs and Hollywood.

Investigators estimated that $4.5bn (£3.3bn) was siphoned from the state-owned wealth fund, which Najib co-founded, into private pockets, including his own. More than $1bn allegedly ended up in accounts linked to Najib, according to prosecutors.

Najib's lawyers claim he had been misled by his advisers - in particular the financier Jho Low, who has maintained his innocence and remains at large.

Najib's mansion in one of the capital's most exclusive neighbourhoods was declared a federal prison ahead of his homecoming on Tuesday.

Critics said his release from jail undermined efforts to fight corruption and questioned its legal basis, saying Malaysian law made no provision for house arrest.

In brief

Malaysia's disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived home to begin serving the rest of a jail sentence for corruption under house arrest. Najib's return ended a four-year prison stint after he was found guilty over the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the country's sovereign wealth fund. Critics said his release from jail undermined efforts to fight corruption and questioned its legal basis, saying Malaysian law made no provision for house arrest.

This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to BBC News — World. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.

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