Court Rules Against Ex-Malaysian PM Najib's Corruption Conviction Appeal

Malaysia's highest court on Friday ruled against former Prime Minister Najib Razak's application for a review of his corruption conviction in relation to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Najib became the first Malaysian premier to be imprisoned after Malaysia's Federal Court upheld a guilty verdict and 12-year prison sentence handed to him by a lower court.

Najib can no longer challenge the conviction in court, but he has applied for a royal pardon.

If successful, this could see him released without serving the full 12-year term.

U.S. and Malaysian investigators have said $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) – co-founded by Najib during his first year as prime minister in 2009.

And that more than $1 billion went to accounts linked to Najib.

Various recipients of the 1MDB funds used the money to buy real estate, a Picasso painting, a private jet, a superyacht, hotels, jewellery and to finance the 2013 Hollywood film 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. investigators said.

Najib faces three other trials related to graft at 1MDB and other government agencies.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.