KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Imprisoned former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak issued a rare apology Thursday over the looting of a state investment fund worth billions of dollars "under my watch" while reiterating his innocence.
Najib set up the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund, or 1MBD, shortly after taking power in 2009. Investigators allege more than $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by his associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases. The scandal upended Najib's government and he was defeated in the 2018 election. He faces a slew of legal cases and started serving time in 2022 after losing his final appeal in his first graft case.
The apology comes ahead of Wednesday's court decision that will either acquit or order him to enter his defense in a second main graft trial, in which he faces four charges of abusing his power to obtain over $700 million from 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
“It pains me every day to know that the 1MDB debacle happened under my watch ... For that, I would like to apologize unreservedly to the Malaysian people,” Najib said in a statement, adding he was “still in deep shock knowing now the extent of the wretched and unconscionable shenanigans, and illegal things that happened in 1MDB.”
He also said he should have “acted differently” but was misled. He reiterated he didn’t collaborate with Malaysian fugitive financier Low Taek Jho — identified by investigators as the mastermind behind the pilfering of the fund. Najib added he had been punished politically and should not also be “legally victimized”.
“Being held legally responsible for things that I did not initiate or knowingly enable is unfair to me, and I hope and pray that the judicial process will, in the end, prove my innocence,” he added.
Najib's current trial began in August 2019. It is the most significant as it ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal that has prompted investigations in the U.S. and several other countries.
Prosecutors allege Najib embezzled billions of dollars from 1MDB through an “elaborate charade” and then sought to cover his tracks. Najib says he was fooled into believing it was a donation from the Saudi Arabia royal family.
He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges. In addition, Najib still has a pending case involving a criminal breach of trust and another money laundering trial.
His wife and other senior government officials are also facing corruption charges.
FILE - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, speaks to supporters outside at Court of Appeal in Putrajaya, Malaysia Aug. 23, 2022. (AP Photo, File)
A blast from English rugby’s recent past will rock up at Twickenham on Sunday looking to plunge the national team into a crisis.
Imagine Eddie Jones’ delight if that was to happen, especially given the bad PR he’s had in England of late.
Jones — rugby’s most charismatic, in-your-face coach — brings Japan to the 82,000-seat stadium southwest of London seeking to create some history by leading the Brave Blossoms to a first ever win over England.
For England fans who have seen their team lose five matches on the trot, it’s an unthinkable scenario that Japan can make it No. 6 — a streak of defeats the English haven’t experienced since 2006.
If it does happen, coach Steve Borthwick might be in an untenable position, two years after succeeding Jones.
Indeed, Jones isn’t short of motivation this weekend.
His name is mud for some in the English game in the wake of the release of former England scrumhalf Danny Care’s autobiography, “Everything Happens for a Reason,” in which he wrote that the England camp under Jones was “like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people.”
“Remember what it felt like when someone was being bullied at school and you were just glad it wasn’t you?” wrote Care, who is retired from international rugby. “That was the vibe.”
Others used the opportunity to jump on Jones, including former England flyhalf Danny Cipriani, who said Jones was “not somebody that I’d want to lead my country, because of the way he carries himself.”
Jones coached England from 2015-22, leading the team to three Six Nations titles, a Rugby World Cup final in 2019 and 17 straight wins early in his reign, only for his tenure to peter out amid increasing questions over his coaching style. Care acknowledged Jones gave him “some of the greatest memories of my rugby career” but that it “came at a price.”
The Rugby Football Union responded to Care’s comments by saying no complaints were made about Jones by players, either to the governing body or via its confidential whistleblowing service. Current England captain Jamie George accepted Jones’ tenure was “challenging” for players but said the Australian “did brilliant things for English rugby.”
How Borthwick would take some of the wins England managed against the southern hemisphere powers in the Jones era.
England lost back-to-back tests against New Zealand in July and three straight November tests, to the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa. None of them have been hammerings — the combined margin of defeat this month is 16 points and all three entertaining matches have given the crowd at Twickenham plenty of value for money — but England is making the same mistakes every time, and showing fallibility when in winning positions late in games.
Backup England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie attributed it to “mental” issues but feels the team is going in the right direction under Borthwick.
Still, lose to Japan ahead of a Six Nations campaign that starts for England in February with games against the two top title contenders, Ireland away and France at home, and Borthwick will be in desperate trouble.
Japan comes into the match on the back of a 36-20 win over Uruguay on Saturday, but was overwhelmed 52-12 by France the week before and lost to England 52-17 in Tokyo in June.
The teams met in last year’s World Cup, with England winning 34-12.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
England's Ollie Lawrence reacts after the end of the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, South Africa won the game 29-20. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
England players reacts after the end of the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, South Africa won the game 29-20. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
England's head coach Steve Borthwick walks on the pitch to watch his players during the warm-up ahead of the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Japan's Eddie Jones watches his players warm-up before the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between France and Japan at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Japan's Eddie Jones watches his players warm-up before the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between France and Japan at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
