Former Prime Minister Najib Razak was taken to prison after Malaysia’s top court dismissed his final appeal of corruption convictions, capping a yearslong quest by authorities to prosecute him for his role in one of the world’s largest financial scandals, the Wall Street Journal reported. The ruling by Malaysia’s Federal Court on Tuesday upheld Mr. Najib’s guilty verdicts on seven charges including abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust. He was convicted in 2020, sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined almost $50 million, but his punishment was stayed throughout the appeals process. The 69-year-old Mr. Najib, who remains an influential figure in Malaysian politics, denied wrongdoing throughout the proceedings against him. On Tuesday, he appeared in court with his wife and three children and delivered a lengthy statement before the ruling, saying that the court had treated him unjustly. “At the final stage of a case, it is the worst feeling to have, to realize that the might of the judicial machinery is pinned against me in the most unfair manner,” he said. The court’s five-member bench unanimously dismissed Mr. Najib’s appeals and affirmed his conviction and sentence, said Federal Court Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. “The defense is so inherently inconsistent and incredible that it has not raised reasonable doubt on the case,” she said. Read more. (Subscription required.)
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