Malaysia ex-PM Najib arrives home to start house arrest

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived home on Tuesday to commence his house arrest, concluding a four-year prison term linked to a massive corruption scandal at the state investment fund, 1MDB, Reuters reported. Accompanied by a heavily guarded police vehicle, Najib arrived at his Kuala Lumpur residence amidst a chaotic scene as numerous journalists gathered to get a glimpse of him.

Despite being prime minister from 2009 to 2018, Najib was found guilty of corruption concerning the embezzlement of billions of dollars associated with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad fund, a venture he co-founded while in office. He has persistently denied any wrongdoing. Following his conviction, Najib had been scheduled to leave prison last Friday after fulfilling a fine as part of a royal pardon.

However, the Attorney General unexpectedly halted the transfer, causing outrage among his political allies and a warning from King Sultan Ibrahim against disobeying his decree. The court subsequently ruled that an order issued last week be canceled and replaced with a new order enabling Najib's house arrest to commence immediately, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Recognized as one of Malaysia's most influential and contentious politicians, Najib maintains that he was unjustly targeted for the intricate, worldwide scheme that allegedly siphoned off up to $4.5 billion, according to US investigators. Prosecutors have alleged that more than $1 billion ultimately ended up in accounts affiliated with Najib.