Jailed Malaysian ex-PM Najib pays fine, meeting condition for house arrest

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak paid a 50 million ringgit fine on Friday, fulfilling a condition of his royal pardon that allowed him to serve the remainder of his 15-year sentence under house arrest, according to his party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The jailed 73-year-old former leader was convicted for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, one of the largest-ever global plundering of a sovereign wealth fund.

UMNO announced that they had completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court that morning, officially closing the special Najib Razak Solidarity Fund account that had been established to receive public contributions. Najib's aide, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, confirmed the payment and stated they were awaiting transfer papers.

King Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib the conditional pardon in September, which required him to pay the fine in exchange for serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest. Police have cordoned off the road leading to Najib's residence, preparing for potential crowd control.