Jailed Malaysian former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, on Monday won an appeal to serve his remaining prison term over corruption under house arrest.
In an application in April last year, Najib said he had clear information that then King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest.
Najib claimed that the addendum was issued during a pardons board meeting on January 29 last year chaired by Sultan Abdullah that also cut his 12-year jail sentence by half and sharply reduced a fine.
The High Court tossed out his bid three months later.
However, the Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 ruling on Monday, ordered the High Court to hear the merits of the case.
The decision came after Najib’s lawyer produced a letter from a Pahang state palace official confirming that former Sultan Abdullah issued the order.
“We are happy that finally Najib has got a win,” his lawyer Mohamad Shafee Abdullah said. “He is very happy and very relieved that finally, they recognised some element of injustice that has been placed against him.”
