Reckoning for Najib

Former Malaysian PM in court for first time on corruption charge

FORMER Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (pictured) arrived in court yesterday to face charges he embezzled millions of dollars of public money, in a stunning fall from grace for a national leader.

Supporters shouted “Freedom!” and a scrum of journalists greeted Najib, 64, as he became the first ex-premier in Malaysia to front a judge.

A tiredlooking Najib was escorted by around 20 police officers into a courtroom where he was to face a prosecution team led by the country’s attorney-general.

The dramatic entrance came the day after the fallen leader was arrested at his luxury home by officers probing how billions of dollars of state funds disappeared on his watch.

The arrest is the latest in a series of stunning moves by investigators that suggest the legal noose is tightening around Najib, his family and many of his close political and business allies.

“We pray Datuk Seri Najib gets a fair trial. It is a test from Allah,” the former leader’s daughter-in-law Nur Sharmila Shaheen told AFP, using an honorific title, adding her father-in-law was “calm”.

Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama said the former premier was expected to face more than 10 counts of committing criminal breach of trust linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, which

Najib founded.

“Najib is the first (former) prime minister ever to be charged in court in the history of Malaysia,” said Tian Chua, vice president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a key political party in the ruling coalition.

“It signals a new era where no one in public office will be immune from punitive action if they abuse power,” he added.