RM50 million settled, Najib one step from house arrest
Asyraf thanked Allah, Umno members nationwide and members of the public who had donated since the fund opened.
KUALA LUMPUR - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has paid the RM50 million fine required for him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, with the payment completed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
In a statement today, Umno secretary-general Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the fund, launched on Sep 18 to help former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, was now sufficient.
He said the party had completed all payments to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning and had officially closed the special account. Public crowdfunding was no longer needed, he added.
Asyraf thanked Allah, Umno members nationwide and members of the public who had donated since the fund opened.
The payment process began when an Umno leader arrived at the counter carrying a locked black bag, after which a receipt for the release order was issued.
The receipt is believed to be submitted to the Malaysian Prisons Department before the house arrest order can be implemented.
Speculation over Najib settling the fine had been circulating since last Tuesday.
However, his lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, had previously said that the legal team had yet to receive any instructions from Najib regarding the matter.
He also said the lawyers could not predict whether the payment would be made this week.
Shafee had earlier confirmed that the location specified for Najib's house arrest in the document obtained was his residence at No 11, Langgak Duta.
In October, Prime Minister's Department Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) director-general Datuk Zamri Misman said the Malaysian Prisons Department had provided further clarification to Najib on the mechanism for house arrest.
On Sept 19, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the Malaysian Prisons Department was expected to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) for implementing house arrest for the former Pekan Member of Parliament (MP).
Najib has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
He filed a petition seeking a royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 2, 2022.
On July 28, 2020, the High Court sentenced him to 12 years in prison and imposed a RM210 million fine after finding him guilty of three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power.
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