A timeline of events in the downfall of Malaysia's ex-leader
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A massive financial scandal linked to the 1MDB wealth sovereign fund helped sink former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's political career and ended the six-decade rule of his coalition in 2018 national elections. Najib was found guilty Tuesday in his first corruption trial over the multibillion-dollar looting of 1MDB.
A timeline of how the saga unfolded:
April 3, 2009: Najib is sworn in as Malaysia's sixth prime minister.
July 2009: 1MDB is formed with Najib as advisory board chairman.
July 2015: A report by The Wall Street Journal alleges that nearly $700 million of 1MDB money has been channeled into Najib’s personal bank accounts. Najib denies the allegations. He fires his then-critical deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and terminates the attorney general who was investigating him. A whistle-blowing website is blocked and two newspapers are suspended over their reporting on the scandal.
Aug, 29-30, 2015: Thousands of Malaysians rally in Kuala Lumpur to demand Najib's resignation.
Jan. 26, 2016: New Attorney General Apandi Ali clears Najib of any wrongdoing, saying the money in his bank accounts was a donation from Saudi Arabia’s royal family.
Jul. 21, 2016: The U.S. Justice Department initiates moves to recover over $1 billion that investigators say was stolen from 1MDB by associates of Najib and used to buy assets.
May 9, 2018: Najib's National Front coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, loses in a general election. A reformist opposition alliance takes power, with nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad making a comeback as prime minister for a second time.
May 10-June 2018: Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, are banned from leaving the country, and the new government reopens investigations into 1MDB....