KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6): Imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's legal team has confirmed that the RM50 million fine has been paid and the court has subsequently issued an order for house arrest.
Speaking to the press on Friday, Najib's lawyer Muhammad Farhan Shafee said that they will now deliver the order to Kajang Prison, where Najib is still currently incarcerated.
Farhan said that there are still some processes to be completed. However, if everything goes accordingly, Najib could be at his Langgak Duta private residence within the day.
"The RM50 million fine for Najib has been paid by Umno to the High Court. As a result, the court has issued, pursuant to the royal pardon, the order for house arrest.
"We have that order, and we will be delivering the order to Kajang Prison now.
"There is still a further process," Farhan said.
The lawyer declined to name which Umno representative made the payment.
Farhan along with the former prime minister's aide Ahmad Lutfi Azhar were seen at the Kuala Lumpur court payment counter around noon on Friday, setting off a media frenzy that the fine would finally be paid on the day.
Umno then released a statement confirming that the fine had been paid, and that the total amount of funds collected through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund was sufficient.
As the fund's sole goal had been met, it will now be shut down.
On Sept 18, it was announced that the Federal Territory Pardons Board — under the King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar — allowed Najib to serve the remainder of his reduced jail term under house arrest with the caveat that he pays the RM50 million fine first.
In the SRC case, the court had upheld Najib's guilty verdict for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering as well as his 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine.
However, in 2024, the Pardons Board under then King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah reduced these to six years and RM50 million.
Najib began serving his jail term on Aug 23, 2022. Following the reduction, he is slated to end his imprisonment in August 2028.
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