‘Payment completed’: Umno settles Najib’s RM50m fine, paving way for house arrest

Umno has explained the RM50 million fine imposed on former Prime Minister Najib Razak as allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. In a statement, Umno Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party has managed to collect sufficient funds through a fundraising campaign launched last September.

"We would like to express our gratitude to party members and the public for their contributions," he said. Najib's lawyers, Farhan Shafee and special assistant Lutfi Azhar, visited the High Court payment counter before continuing their journey to the Criminal Registration Office. Farhan later confirmed that the fine had been paid.

"We are still here to handle the necessary documents," he said. The development followed reports from Utusan Malaysia that two individuals representing Najib had appeared in court to handle the fine. However, Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor denied the report. Najib was imprisoned in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his sentence for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and embezzlement involving RM42 million from SRC International.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million. In January 2024, then-King Sultan Abdullah removed half of Najib's prison sentence and reduced the fine to RM50 million through royal pardon. In September, Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib further conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, provided he pays the RM50 million fine and complies with other specified conditions.

According to Berita Harian, police have tightened security around Najib's residence on Langkawi Dutta Road in Kuala Lumpur, anticipating his possible return home this evening. Sentul Police Chief Anuar Bakri Abdul Salam stated that security preparations and surveillance have been conducted since morning, but the police have not received specific information about the matter.

Anuar said the preparations are precautionary measures, and the police are ready to handle any potential issues. Police have been monitoring the entrance to the residence since 10:30 am with a checkpoint to prevent unauthorized individuals from approaching the house. Over 50 police officers and personnel gathered at the location, along with patrol vehicles and a mobile van.

Two tents were set up for operational and security purposes, while media personnel were kept outside the restricted area. Most right-wing officers from IPD Sentul were also seen at the scene.