Former Malaysia PM, 1MDB ex-CEO cleared of audit tampering charges

Reuters:

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 – A Malaysian court on Friday acquitted former Prime Minister Najib Razak and the former chief executive of scandal-linked state fund 1MDB of corruption charges linked to a 2016 government audit into the fund, their lawyers said.

The acquittal comes amid renewed scrutiny on government corruption with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who took office in November last year, ordering a review into the previous administration’s projects in a bid to root out graft.

Najib – who is serving a 12-year prison sentence after being found guilty in a separate case – was charged in 2018 with abusing his position as prime minister to amend a government audit into the multibillion-dollar scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

1MDB’s former chief executive Arul Kandasamy was charged with abetting Najib. Arul and Najib both pleaded not guilty.

On Friday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a case against them, their lawyers told reporters.