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

What the report says

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been moved from prison to his home in Kuala Lumpur to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, according to BBC World News. The 73-year-old arrived at his residence late on Tuesday night under police escort, ending a four-year jail term that followed his conviction in the long-running 1MDB corruption case.

BBC World News reported that Najib was convicted over the misappropriation of funds linked to Malaysia’s state-owned 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, a scandal that widened far beyond the country and drew in financial institutions and other prominent figures. Prosecutors have said more than $1bn linked to the affair ended up in accounts connected to Najib, while investigators estimated that billions of dollars were siphoned from the fund overall. Najib has denied wrongdoing and says he was misled by advisers.

The report said his home had been designated a federal prison ahead of the transfer. The move followed a royal pardon in September that allowed him to spend the rest of a reduced sentence at home, although the legal basis for house arrest was questioned by critics. A court later ruled that the arrangement took effect immediately.

The case remains significant because it is tied to one of Southeast Asia’s biggest corruption scandals and to ongoing debate in Malaysia over accountability, political influence and anti-graft efforts. BBC World News also noted that Najib faces other proceedings and appeals connected to separate convictions related to 1MDB and its former unit SRC International.