Malaysia court clears Najib Razak for house arrest

Najib arrives home escorted by police

Former prime minister Najib Razak arrived at his residence in Taman Duta at 9.27pm local time on Tuesday. He traveled in a silver SUV that was driven directly to his home in the affluent suburb. Several vehicles from the Prison Department and Royal Malaysian Police escorted the car during the transfer. Local news outlets reported the arrival hours after the High Court issued its ruling clearing the way for release.

Transport minister resigns following court order

Transport Minister Anthony Loke resigned immediately after the prison exit triggered his departure from office. The court set aside an order from last week to replace it with a new directive allowing immediate house arrest. A royal pardon allowed Najib to exit prison last Friday following the payment of a required fine. Attorney general abruptly halted that transfer which outraged political allies and prompted a warning from King Sultan Ibrahim against defying the decree.

Context of 1MDB corruption scandal

Najib served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018 before being found guilty of corruption related to embezzlement involving billions tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad. He co-founded the state investment fund while in power and has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout his legal proceedings. US investigators say the complex scheme siphoned away as much as $4.5 billion from the global fund. According to prosecutors, the alleged sum exceeding $1 billion was deposited into accounts associated with Najib and the co-founder of 1MDB.