Najib files appeal against High Court’s dismissal of house arrest bid

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed an appeal against the High Court ruling that dismissed his bid to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest.

His lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, confirmed that the appeal was filed on Dec 24.

On Dec 22, the High Court dismissed Najib’s judicial review, stating that the alleged addendum order by the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong was issued outside the Constitutional framework and was therefore invalid and unenforceable.

Najib is currently serving the sentence imposed by the High Court, which found him guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42mil siphoned from SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.

He exhausted all appeals in the high-profile SRC case and failed to overturn his conviction and sentence.

On Feb 2 last year, the Pardons Board reduced Najib’s initial 12-year jail sentence and RM210mil fine to six years and a RM50mil fine. According to the statement, Najib will be released on Aug 23, 2028, and the fine was reduced accordingly.

Two months later, on April 1, 2024, Najib filed an application for leave for judicial review, claiming there was a royal addendum order that would have allowed him to serve his prison time under house arrest.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Farhan said the appeal for Najib’s conviction and sentence in the RM2.28bil 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case, handed down by the High Court last Friday (Dec 26), had yet to be filed at press time.

“The 1MDB appeal will be filed shortly once we get the formal order from court in order for us to verify,” he added.

On Dec 26, the High Court sentenced Najib to 15 years’ imprisonment and an RM11.4bil fine for all 25 charges in the 1MDB case.