Year of high profile verdicts, two get jail and fine, others freed

2020 has indeed been an eventful year for the country’s judiciary with verdicts made over several high-profile cases, with the most prominent involving former prime minister Najib Razak.

Other court cases that took centre stage this year included on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, corruption, criminal breach of trust (CBT), and money laundering which involved prominent leaders in the country.

On Jul 28, Najib was sentenced to 12 years' jail and fined RM210 million by High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali after finding him guilty on seven charges of CBT, money laundering, and abuse of position involving RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

Nazlan, in his 801-page grounds of judgment dated Aug 21, regarded the case as the worst kind of CBT involving a prime minister.

Not satisfied with the ruling, Najib, 67, filed an appeal and submitted 307 grounds why he should be freed of the charges...