KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested Wednesday by antigraft authorities in connection with the 1MDB financial scandal over his alleged receipt of more than $600 million into his personal bank account.

The authorities said that Mr. Najib was being held at the antigraft agency’s headquarters and would be transferred to a court Thursday to face several charges once they are approved by the Southeast Asian country’s attorney general.

... </s> TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Najib Razak, the former Malaysian prime minister, has been arrested for his alleged role in the 1MDB scandal, which saw billions embezzled from a government fund.

Najib, who was toppled from power in May, was arrested in his Kuala Lumpur home on Tuesday afternoon and will be charged in court in the Malaysian capital on Wednesday morning, according to a statement from the team investigating 1MDB.

The former prime minster was picked up from his property using three unmarked cars and taken to the Malaysian anti-corruption agency (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya.

His arrest came after the newly elected government, led by 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, reopened the investigation into 1MDB the moment it came into power in May and pledged to bring to justice all of those responsible for the multibillion dollar fraud, The Guardian reported.

Mahathir said last week that authorities had an almost “perfect case” against Najib on charges including bribery, theft of government funds and embezzlement. </s> Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been arrested and will face further charges of abuse of power over the looting of a state investment fund.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been arrested and will face further charges of abuse of power over the looting of a state investment fund.

The agency said in a statement that Najib was detained at its office over the transfer of 2.6 billion ringgit (£476 million) into his bank account.

It said Najib will be taken to court on Thursday to face several charges under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

Najib was earlier charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering over the scandal at the 1MDB state fund, just months after his shocking electoral defeat.

He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is due to start next year.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

Public anger over the 1MDB scandal led to the ouster of Najib’s long-ruling coalition in national polls on May 9 and ushered in the first change of power since independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened investigations stifled under Najib’s rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country.

Police also seized jewellery and hundreds of handbags and other valuables estimated at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (£207 million) from properties linked to Najib.

Police have said that investigations have shown that £739 million had been transferred to Najib’s bank account from three companies linked to 1MDB.

Najib, 65, has accused Malaysia’s new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name at his trial.

He has claimed the money was a political donation from Saudi Arabia’s royal family. </s> KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was arrested on Tuesday afternoon (Jul 3) in relation to the probe into SRC International, a former unit of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He will be charged in court on Wednesday at 8.30am, the 1MDB task force investigating the scandal said in a statement, adding that Najib was arrested at his private residence in Kuala Lumpur.

Anti-corruption officers arrived at his house "in three to four unmarked cars", a senior security official familiar with the arrest told AFP.

He was then taken to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya where he will spend the night in lock-up.



Najib was being investigated over allegations that billions of dollars were looted from 1MDB, which he founded. SRC International was created in 2011 by Najib's government to pursue overseas investments in energy resources, and was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012.



The probe into the multi-billion dollar scandal moved swiftly after the Pakatan Harapan coalition, led by Mahathir Mohamad, won the May 9 general election.

Later that same month, Najib was summoned to the MACC headquarters to explain a suspicious transfer of RM42 million (US$10.6 million) into his bank account.

Police also raided properties linked to Najib and seized truckloads of items that are alleged to have been obtained with 1MDB funds.

Both Najib and the fund have denied any wrongdoing.

​​​​​​​On Monday, the 1MDB special task force announced that more than 400 bank accounts involving RM1.1 billion of funds from individuals, political parties and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were frozen in relation to the probe. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Latest on the 1MDB corruption case against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged in a Malaysian lower court with three counts of criminal breach of trust stemming from the corruption scandal at a state investment fund.

Each of the three charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whipping is also a penalty but Najib would be exempt because he is over 60 years old.

A judge said Najib is accused of abusing his power between December 2014 and March 2015 when about $10 million was transferred from a former unit of the 1MDB state fund to his bank account.

The case will be transferred to the High Court where Najib is expected to make his plea Wednesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived at a Kuala Lumpur court house to face charges stemming from a corruption probe, two months after his shock election defeat.

Najib was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted by associates of Najib.

State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged Wednesday with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison.

Najib, 64, denies any wrongdoing and has accused the new government of seeking “political vengeance.” </s> Kuala Lumpur: Charge sheets obtained by Fairfax Media reveal that former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak could spend up to 20 years in prison, pay $50 million or more in fines, and be subject to whipping over three charges involving the misuse of up to $19 million of his people's money.

Mr Razak is accused of using his position to "obtain for yourself" $14 million from a sovereign wealth fund, SRC International. The charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to five times the value of amount received, is one of three charges laid in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

The alleged corruption happened between August 2011 and February 2012, the charge says, when Najib, "at the Prime Minister's Office ... as a public officer, namely the Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia, used your position to obtain for yourself the sum of forty-two million ringgit".

He took the money, the charges allege, when he "participated in or involved yourself in decisions on behalf of the Malaysian government to give government guarantees for loans amounting to four billion ringgit ($1.34 billion)".

Two other charges allege that Najib committed "criminal breach of trust" in dealing with a further $5 million. These charges relate to his actions in five days over Christmas in 2014, and the months of February and March, 2015 respectively. </s> The Latest on the 1MDB corruption case against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged in a Malaysian lower court with three counts of criminal breach of trust stemming from the corruption scandal at a state investment fund.

Each of the three charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whipping is also a penalty but Najib would be exempt because he is over 60 years old.

A judge said Najib is accused of abusing his power between December 2014 and March 2015 when about $10 million was transferred from a former unit of the 1MDB state fund to his bank account.

The case will be transferred to the High Court where Najib is expected to make his plea Wednesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived at a Kuala Lumpur court house to face charges stemming from a corruption probe, two months after his shock election defeat.

Najib was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted by associates of Najib.

State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged Wednesday with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison.

Najib, 64, denies any wrongdoing and has accused the new government of seeking "political vengeance." </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Detained former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will face at least two dozen fresh charges of abuse of power and money laundering Thursday over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund, police and the anti-graft agency said.

Najib is expected in court later in the day after police took custody of him from the anti-graft agency, which detained Najib on Wednesday over the alleged transfer of $681 million into his bank account. Najib has called the case political vengeance.

The 21 charges prepared against him involve receiving, using and transferring of illicit funds, national deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said in a statement.

In this May 22, 2018, file photo, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives at Anti-Corruption Agency for questioning in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Malaysia's anti-graft agency says it has arrested former Najib over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund and that he will face further charges in court. The agency says Najib was detained at its office on Wednesday, Sept. 14, and will be taken to court on Thursday to face the charges. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

The anti-graft agency on Wednesday separately said Najib will face several charges under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act. It didn't give details, but the section deals with the abuse of power.

Najib has earlier been charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering over the scandal at the 1MDB fund, just months after his shocking electoral defeat. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is due to start next year.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

Public anger over the 1MDB scandal led to the stunning ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 polls and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened investigations stifled under Najib's rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country. Police also seized jewelry and hundreds of handbags and other valuables estimated at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($273 million) from properties linked to Najib.

Police have said that investigations have shown that $972 million had been transferred to Najib's bank account from three companies linked to 1MDB.

Najib, 65, has accused Malaysia's new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name at his trial. He has claimed the money was a political donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family. </s> Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged with corruption offenses linked with the scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), at a court in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday morning, July 4. The politician faces three counts of criminal breach of trust and one abuse of power. He was arrested at his private residence on Tuesday afternoon and spent the night in detention. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Najib pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of almost 250,000 USD. This video from July 4 shows Najib on his arrival at the court house escorted by police officers as the media scrum gathers round. For three years, Najib was dogged by allegations that funds from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund were siphoned off. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In mid-May, one week after he lost the elections, Malaysian police raided Kuala Lumpur properties linked to him, including his family home, seizing cash, hundreds of designer handbags and other luxury goods. Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have also been questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission as part of the graft probe. Credit: Villasha via Storyful

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Arrives in Court to Face Graft Charges 0:31

MALAYSIA’S toppled leader Najib Razak has been arrested and will be charged over allegations that $628 million linked to state investment fund 1MDB ended up in his personal bank accounts, officials said.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement that it had detained Najib as part of its investigations into the fund and “the entry of 2.6 billion ringgit ($628 million) into his personal account”.

Allegations that huge sums were looted from the investment vehicle by Najib and his cronies were a major factor in the shock defeat of his long-ruling coalition at elections in May to a reformist alliance headed by Mahathir Mohamad.

Since losing power, Najib has already been arrested and hit with seven charges related to claims he pocketed some $10 million from a former unit of 1MDB.

However his arrest today related directly to one of the most damaging allegations in the long-running scandal — that huge sums from the fund flowed into his bank accounts ahead of a hotly contested election in 2013.

When the allegations surfaced in 2015, they dramatically ratcheted up the scandal surrounding Najib and his inner circle.

The attorney-general later cleared him of any wrongdoing, saying the money was a personal donation from the Saudi royal family.

Najib will appear in court Thursday afternoon to be charged over the allegations, the anti-corruption commission said.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is arrested for allegedly misusing state funds.