Kuala lumpur: A Malaysian court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison and imposed a fine of 11.3 billion Malaysian ringgits (approximately $2.7 billion) following his conviction on four charges of abusing power and 21 counts of money laundering related to the 1MDB scandal.

According to Anadolu Agency, the sentence is connected to the misappropriation of 2.3 billion ringgits ($568 million) from the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah of the High Court ordered that Najib's jail term commence in 2028, after he completes a separate six-year sentence linked to SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB.

Najib, aged 72, has been involved in multiple legal proceedings related to the 1MDB scandal. Authorities from Malaysia and the United States allege that approximately $4.5 billion was embezzled from the state fund between 2009 and 2014 in a large-scale international scheme. In 2020, Najib was found guilty of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for unlawfully receiving funds misappropriated from 1MDB.

Having served two terms as Malaysia's premier since 2009, Najib is currently incarcerated in Kajang Prison in Selangor province. Last year, he received a pardon from the Malaysian monarchy, reducing his original 12-year sentence by half. In July, Najib's application to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest was denied.