A convoy transporting former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak leaves the Palace of Justice following the High Court decision in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial in Putrajaya, Malaysia, 26 December 2025. Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 13.5 billion Malaysian ringgit (approximately 2.4 billion euros) after being convicted on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering linked to the plunder of hundreds of millions of dollars from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Najib was liable for losses incurred by SRC International, a former subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, state news agency Bernama reported.
High Court judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin ruled that Najib breached his fiduciary duties, abused his position as prime minister, and misappropriated SRC funds for personal gain, Bernama reported.
SRC's lawyer, Lim Chee Wee, confirmed the Bernama report to Reuters but declined further comment on the ruling.
Najib would appeal the ruling, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said, according to Bernama. Muhammad Shafee did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Najib has been in prison since August 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering over funds misappropriated from SRC in a separate case. He was also fined 50 million ringgit ($12.4 million) as part of that sentence.
Malaysia and U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, a state fund Najib co-founded in 2009 during the first of his nine years in power in the Southeast Asian country.
In December, Najib was sentenced to a further 15 years in jail and fined $2.8 billion for power abuse and money laundering in the biggest trial of the multibillion-dollar scandal. He denies wrongdoing and is appealing the ruling.
($1 = 4.0380 ringgit)
(Reporting by Danial Azhar and Rozanna Latiff; Editing by John Mair)