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Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 18:02
Malaysian court 'orders ex-PM Najib to pay US$400m tax bill'
By Reuters
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 18:02 By Reuters

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, left in foreground, arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Nov 11, 2019. (VINCENT THIAN / AP)

KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian court on Wednesday ordered former Prime Minister Najib Razak to settle 1.69 billion ringgit ($397.41 million) in unpaid taxes over seven years while he was still in office, according to a report by national newswire Bernama.

Defeated in the 2018 general election amid widespread outrage over allegedly rampant graft in his government, Najib is facing multiple charges of corruption and abuse of power linked to billions of dollars Malaysian prosecutors say was siphoned off from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In his ruling, High Court judge Ahmad Bache said former premiers are not exempt from paying tax and that Najib must pay his "debt" to the government, according to the Bernama report

A separate US Department of Justice investigation to track down assets bought with funds allegedly stolen from 1MDB was the biggest case pursued by the department under its kleptocracy program.

Najib has denied all wrongdoing.

ALSO READ: Malaysia seeks forfeiture of assets seized from ex-PM Najib

In his ruling, High Court judge Ahmad Bache said former premiers are not exempt from paying tax and that Najib must pay his "debt" to the government, according to the Bernama report. Tax authorities filed the suit last June to recover unpaid taxes accumulated by Najib between 2011 and 2017, plus penalties and interest.

Najib had served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018. He co-founded 1MDB, from which some US$4.5 billion in assets were stolen, according to US and Malaysian authorities.

A separate court will deliver its verdict in a case against Najib on July 28, the first of several corruption trials he faces linked to the 1MDB scandal.

READ MORE: M'sian ex-PM Najib faces July verdict in 1st 1MDB-linked trial

Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) unexpectedly returned to power in a coalition led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin nearly five months ago, though Najib no longer leads the party.


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