Malaysia’s Najib begins house arrest as Umno pays US$12.3 million fine

Malaysia’s Umno said on Friday it had settled the court payment needed to move disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to house arrest, after a public fundraising campaign reached its target to cover his 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine.

The penalty was a condition of a royal pardon granted in September allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence in a corruption case linked to sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at home until August 2028, after more than four years behind bars.

Umno secretary general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, launched on September 18, had raised sufficient money and the party had completed the payment process at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday morning.