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

Fonte da imagem, legenda EPAImage, Najib sorri para repórteres no Tribunal Superior de Kuala Lumpur depois que abriu caminho para que ele voltasse para casa.

• Najib Razak: The fall of Malaysia's former PMPublished28 July 2020.

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.

O retorno de Najib encerrou uma pena de quatro anos de prisão depois que ele foi condenado por desvio de bilhões de dólares do fundo soberano do país.

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.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Journalists jostled for a glimpse of Najib as he was driven to his home, which has been declared a federal prison.

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

Críticos afirmaram que sua libertação da prisão minava os esforços para combater a corrupção e questionaram sua base legal, alegando que a lei malaia não prevê prisão domiciliar.

Najib, who was prime minister from 2009 to 2018, denied wrongdoing but was convicted at two separate trials.

In the first trial he was sentenced in 2020 to 12 years in prison and jailed in 2022. The term was later halved on appeal.

Em setembro, o Rei da Malásia concedeu-lhe um indulto condicional para cumprir os dois anos restantes da sua sentença em casa.

The transfer to his mansion was to take place on Friday but put on hold after the attorney general sought clarification of the royal decree. On Tuesday the high court ruled the house arrest was effective immediately.

Najib está recorrendo contra uma sentença de 15 anos de prisão, imposta em um segundo julgamento em dezembro de 2025, em um caso que envolveu somas muito maiores de dinheiro.

Nesse caso, ele foi condenado por apropriação indevida de quase 2.

He is due to start serving that sentence after his house arrest ends, which is expected in August 2028.

1MDB scandal: The playboys, PMs and partygoers.

1MDB: escândalo global de corrupção da Malásia.