Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged Wednesday with criminal breach of trust and corruption, two months after a multibillion-dollar graft scandal at a state investment fund led to his stunning election defeat.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges. "I claim trial," he said in a barely audible voice as he stood in the dock at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. A judge set bail at 1 million ringgit in cash ($250,000) and ordered Najib to surrender his two diplomatic passports.

The patrician and luxury-loving Najib, wearing a suit and a red tie, appeared calm and smiled as he was escorted into the court complex. He was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted of billions by associates of Najib.

Najib was charged with abuse of power leading to gratification under Malaysia's anti-corruption law and three counts of criminal breach of trust. Each charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whipping is also a penalty but Najib would be exempt because of his age.

Anger over the 1MDB saga led to the shocking defeat of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia's new attorney general, Tommy Thomas, who is heading the prosecution, said the 1MBD case has attracted global attention and "brought shame to the country." Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah protested the comment calling it "nonsense" and "coffeeshop talk."

Najib, 64, has accused Malaysia's new government of seeking "political vengeance."

At a news conference after the hearing, Najib said a trial was "the best chance for me to clear my name after all the slander and accusations." It is set to start Feb. 8, subject to confirmation at a preliminary hearing next month.

New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib's rule.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries.

He and his wife were questioned last month over the SRC case by the anti-graft agency and were barred from leaving the country.

The attorney general's case says the $10 million that Najib allegedly received via SRC was a bribe for approving government guarantees of loans totaling 4 billion ringgit (nearly $1 billion) in 2011 and 2012 that apparently became part of the ransacking underway at 1MDB.

Police have also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($272 million) from properties linked to Najib.

U.S. investigators say $4.5 billion was stolen and laundered from 1MDB by Najib's associates, including some $700 million that landed in Najib's bank account. While in power, Najib said the $700 million was a donation from the Saudi royal family.

Najib's lawyer Muhammad asked for the case to be expedited.

Najib "is anxious to clear his name," he told the High Court. "We are pretty confident about this case."

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome, said Najib's arrest was the "inevitable outcome" after he lost power.

"It shows the resolve of the new government to address previous abuses of power. It has been done judiciously so far and speaks to a needed reckoning for Malaysia and a key step toward a cleaner governance," she said in an email.</s>Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak charged in court with 3 counts of criminal breach of trust

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak charged in court with 3 counts of criminal breach of trust.</s>Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak charged in court with 3 counts of criminal breach of trust

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak charged in court with 3 counts of criminal breach of trust.</s>The Latest on the 1MDB corruption case against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged in a Malaysian lower court with three counts of criminal breach of trust stemming from the corruption scandal at a state investment fund.

Each of the three charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whipping is also a penalty but Najib would be exempt because he is over 60 years old.

A judge said Najib is accused of abusing his power between December 2014 and March 2015 when about $10 million was transferred from a former unit of the 1MDB state fund to his bank account.

The case will be transferred to the High Court where Najib is expected to make his plea Wednesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived at a Kuala Lumpur court house to face charges stemming from a corruption probe, two months after his shock election defeat.

Najib was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted by associates of Najib.

State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged Wednesday with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison.

Najib, 64, denies any wrongdoing and has accused the new government of seeking "political vengeance."</s>KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s former prime minister, Najib Razak, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and other charges arising from an investigation into a scandal-plagued state fund, weeks after he was ousted in a stunning election defeat.

Najib, 64, who has denied wrongdoing in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund he founded, was charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust as part of an investigation into a transaction involving its former unit SRC International.

The charges relate to some 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) of funds that allegedly went from SRC into Najib’s personal bank account. This represents a small fraction of the billions of dollars the U.S. Department of Justice has said was misappropriated from 1MDB.

Malaysia’s attorney general said he expected more reports from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating wrongdoing at the fund.

“This is arising from the first MACC IP (investigation papers) given to my office three weeks ago. No doubt there will be more,” Tommy Thomas, who is leading the case against Najib, told reporters outside the court.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said he was not perfect and “not all the accusations against me and my family are true.

“Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself,” he said.

Each of the four charges against Najib carries a prison term of up to 20 years. The abuse of power charge carries a fine of not less than five times the “value of gratification”.

Najib was granted bail of 1 million ringgit ($247,000) and was ordered to surrender his passports. The judge set a tentative date for the trial to begin of Feb. 18, 2019.

The son of a former prime minister, Najib joined parliament at the age of 23 and rose through the ranks to take the top job in 2009. But his second term in office from 2013 was plagued by allegations around 1MDB, prompting a stunning fall from grace that culminated in his arrest on Tuesday.

Mahathir Mohamad, who helped Najib’s political ascent before turning on him as the allegations surfaced, led a campaign that unseated Najib in a May 9 election and ousted a coalition that had ruled since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957.

One of Mahathir’s first acts was to reopen the 1MDB investigation.

After spending the night in detention, Najib arrived at the court in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Crowds of media and onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier. Some supporters of Najib’s UMNO party chanted and held up placards in support of him.

Soon after coming into power in 2009, Najib founded 1MDB. The fund is being investigated in at least six countries on suspicion of money laundering.

SRC, created in 2011 by Najib’s government to pursue overseas investment in energy resources, was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012.

SRC has been the initial focus of Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations were “politically motivated”, and Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir told Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery using government money were among the charges being considered against Najib, adding that his former protege was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his election loss, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and investigators have seized luxury handbags, jewelry and other items worth millions of dollars from properties linked to his family.</s>KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - In a stunning fall from grace, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged in court on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of extensive corruption and misappropriation at a state fund he founded.

Najib pled not guilty to three charges of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power, in relation to a suspicious transaction involving SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Each of the four charges carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The abuse of power charge carries a fine of not less than five times the "value of gratification".

"As a public official, which is prime minister and minister of finance, used your position for self gratification (for a) total of 42 million ringgit," Attorney General Tommy said referring to the abuse of power charge.

The charges relate to funds that allegedly went from SRC International into Najib's personal bank account, but are only a fraction of the total amount allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

The U.S. Department of Justice has said more than $4.5 billion was siphoned from the fund.

Najib has denied wrongdoing since news of the scandal emerged.

SRC is the initial focus of Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

Najib was arrested at his home on Tuesday, less than two months after an unexpected election defeat to a coalition led by his mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad. Police and anti-graft agency officials have revived investigations into the fund's missing billions since his ouster.

Some of Najib's children were present in court, including his stepson, Riza Aziz, who on Tuesday was questioned by anti-graft officers.

Najib, who spent the night in lockup, arrived at 8.20 a.m. (0020 GMT) at the court complex in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Crowds of media and onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier as he was led to a sessions court to face the charges.

Some members of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in support of their former leader.

Earlier, state news agency Bernama broadcast the movement of Najib's convoy live as it moved through rush-hour traffic during the drive from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's offices in the administrative capital, Putrajaya, to the court in Kuala Lumpur.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations against the former leader were "politically motivated", and that Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery with government money were among the charges that Malaysia was looking to bring against Najib, 64, adding that Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his loss at the polls, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and had millions of dollars of items seized from properties linked to his family.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said he was not perfect and "not all the accusations against me and my family are true.

"Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself," he said.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Reuters) - Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty to criminal charges on Wednesday related to a probe into allegations of corruption at state fund 1MDB, less than two months after he was ousted in a stunning election.

Najib, 64, nodded as he was charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust as part of an investigation into a transaction involving SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Each of the four charges carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The abuse of power charge carries a fine of not less than five times the "value of gratification".

"As a public official, which is prime minister and minister of finance, used your position for self gratification (for a) total of 42 million ringgit," Attorney General Tommy Thomas said referring to the abuse of power charge.

The charges relate to funds that allegedly went from SRC International into Najib's personal bank account, but are only a fraction of the billions of dollars the U.S. Department of Justice has said was misappropriated from 1MDB.

Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to 1MDB.

In a stunning fall from grace, Najib was arrested at his home on Tuesday as part of the investigations into 1MDB revived by his successor and mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad since the surprise May 9 election.

Some of Najib's children were present in court.

Najib, who spent the night in detention, arrived at the court complex in the capital Kuala Lumpur wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Crowds of media and onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier, while some members of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in support of their former leader.

Najib came to power in 2009 and soon founded 1MDB which is being investigated in at least six countries for alleged money laundering.

SRC, created in 2011 by Najib's government to pursue overseas investments in energy resources, was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012.

SRC has been the initial focus of Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations were "politically motivated", and Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir told Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery using government money were among the charges being considered against Najib, adding that his former protege was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his election loss, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and investigators have seized luxury handbags, jewellery and other items worth millions of dollars from properties linked to his family.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said he was not perfect and "not all the accusations against me and my family are true.

"Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself," he said. ($1 = 4.0440 ringgit) (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Joseph Sipalan; writing by John Geddie and A. Ananthalakshmi Editing by Darren Schuettler and Robert Birsel)</s>In a stunning fall from grace, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged in court on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of extensive corruption and misappropriation at a state fund he founded.

Najib pleaded not guilty to three charges of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power, in relation to a suspicious transaction involving SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Each of the four charges carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The abuse of power charge carries a fine of not less than five times the "value of gratification".

"As a public official, which is prime minister and minister of finance, used your position for self gratification (for a) total of 42 million ringgit," Attorney General Tommy said referring to the abuse of power charge.

The charges relate to funds that allegedly went from SRC International into Najib's personal bank account, but are only a fraction of the total amount allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

The U.S. Department of Justice has said more than $4.5 billion was siphoned from the fund.

Najib has denied wrongdoing since news of the scandal emerged.

SRC is the initial focus of Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

Najib was arrested at his home on Tuesday, less than two months after an unexpected election defeat to a coalition led by his mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad. Police and anti-graft agency officials have revived investigations into the fund's missing billions since his ouster.

Some of Najib's children were present in court.

Najib, who spent the night in lockup, arrived at 8.20 a.m. at the court complex in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Crowds of media and onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier as he was led to a sessions court to face the charges.

Some members of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in support of their former leader.

Earlier, state news agency Bernama broadcast the movement of Najib's convoy live as it moved through rush-hour traffic during the drive from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's offices in the administrative capital, Putrajaya, to the court in Kuala Lumpur.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations against the former leader were"politically motivated", and that Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery with government money were among the charges that Malaysia was looking to bring against Najib, 64, adding that Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his loss at the polls, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and had millions of dollars of items seized from properties linked to his family.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said he was not perfect and "not all the accusations against me and my family are true.

"Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself," he said.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Latest on the 1MDB corruption case against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged in a Malaysian lower court with three counts of criminal breach of trust stemming from the corruption scandal at a state investment fund.

Each of the three charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whipping is also a penalty but Najib would be exempt because he is over 60 years old.

A judge said Najib is accused of abusing his power between December 2014 and March 2015 when about $10 million was transferred from a former unit of the 1MDB state fund to his bank account.

The case will be transferred to the High Court where Najib is expected to make his plea Wednesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived at a Kuala Lumpur court house to face charges stemming from a corruption probe, two months after his shock election defeat.

Najib was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft officials over a suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted by associates of Najib.

State news agency Bernama said Najib could be charged Wednesday with more than 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years prison.

Najib, 64, denies any wrongdoing and has accused the new government of seeking “political vengeance.”</s>KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's former prime minister, Najib Razak, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and other charges arising from an investigation into a scandal-plagued state fund, weeks after he was ousted in a stunning election defeat.

Najib, 64, who has denied wrongdoing in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund he founded, was charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust as part of an investigation into a transaction involving its former unit SRC International.

The charges relate to some 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) of funds that allegedly went from SRC into Najib's personal bank account. This represents a small fraction of the billions of dollars the U.S. Department of Justice has said was misappropriated from 1MDB.

Malaysia's attorney general said he expected more reports from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating wrongdoing at the fund.

"This is arising from the first MACC IP (investigation papers) given to my office three weeks ago. No doubt there will be more," Tommy Thomas, who is leading the case against Najib, told reporters outside the court.

In a pre-recorded message posted on Twitter after his arrest, Najib said he was not perfect and "not all the accusations against me and my family are true.

"Let investigations be carried out. I have not had a chance to defend myself," he said.

Each of the four charges against Najib carries a prison term of up to 20 years. The abuse of power charge carries a fine of not less than five times the "value of gratification".

Najib was granted bail of 1 million ringgit ($247,000) and was ordered to surrender his passports. The judge set a tentative date for the trial to begin of Feb. 18, 2019.

The son of a former prime minister, Najib joined parliament at the age of 23 and rose through the ranks to take the top job in 2009. But his second term in office from 2013 was plagued by allegations around 1MDB, prompting a stunning fall from grace that culminated in his arrest on Tuesday.

Mahathir Mohamad, who helped Najib's political ascent before turning on him as the allegations surfaced, led a campaign that unseated Najib in a May 9 election and ousted a coalition that had ruled since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

One of Mahathir's first acts was to reopen the 1MDB investigation.

After spending the night in detention, Najib arrived at the court in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Crowds of media and onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier. Some supporters of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in support of him.

Soon after coming into power in 2009, Najib founded 1MDB. The fund is being investigated in at least six countries on suspicion of money laundering.

SRC, created in 2011 by Najib's government to pursue overseas investment in energy resources, was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012.

SRC has been the initial focus of Malaysian investigators as all the suspicious transactions involving the firm were made through Malaysian entities, unlike other 1MDB related transactions that went through foreign banks and companies.

A spokesman for Najib said on Tuesday that the SRC charges and the 1MDB investigations were "politically motivated", and Najib will contest the charges and clear his name in court.

Mahathir told Reuters last month that embezzlement and bribery using government money were among the charges being considered against Najib, adding that his former protege was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal.

Since his election loss, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and investigators have seized luxury handbags, jewelry and other items worth millions of dollars from properties linked to his family.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is charged with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust. He pleads not guilty to all charges and accuses the government of seeking "political vengeance."