A Malaysian court cleared the way on Tuesday for jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to be transferred to house arrest, after the attorney general disputed an earlier directive.
Najib, 73, was jailed for his role in one of the largest global plunders of a sovereign wealth fund, the now-defunct 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He was granted a conditional pardon in September, allowing him to serve out the rest of his sentence at home provided that he paid a $12 million fine.
His political party, the United Malays National Organisation, paid the fine on Friday but the attorney general blocked Najib's transfer on legal grounds.
"In accordance with the order of conditional pardon, the accused shall serve the remainder of the reduced sentence of six years' imprisonment under house arrest," Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Aslam Zainuddin said on Tuesday.
He issued the new order after meeting defence lawyers and public prosecutors.
Defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters Najib was expected to be transferred to house arrest later on Tuesday.
The road leading to Najib's residence in an upmarket Jakarta enclave was cordoned off, with yellow police tape and traffic cones blocking access to the area, an AFP reporter saw.
Police also parked patrol cars and mobile vans nearby and set up two tents near the entrance to the road. About 50 journalists waited outside Najib's home.
'It's a relief'
Malaysia's king warned on Saturday that the attorney general risked denying a royal order by delaying Najib's transfer, adding that there was no ambiguity about the pardon he was granted.
Najib was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison in July 2020 in a first trial over vast sums of money siphoned from a former 1MDB subsidiary.
A pardons board later halved the term and reduced his fine. That sentence is due to be completed by August 2028.
Najib was also sentenced to another 15 years in a separate trial linked to the 1MDB scandal, against which he has also lodged an appeal.
Asked about Najib's reaction to the latest order, Shafee said: "It's a final relief, a great sigh to him because he's been waiting for this."
However, he added that house arrest is "still an imprisonment because he can't leave the house unless he gets special permission or for a special reason".
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, leader of a political party that is part of the ruling coalition and who has opposed corruption and abuse of power, resigned in protest on Tuesday over the decision.
Najib, the son of one of Malaysia's founding fathers, was groomed for leadership from a young age but fell from power spectacularly as public anger mounted over the corruption scandal.
Investigations under successive governments have ensnared him and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, in graft allegations since his loss in 2018 elections.
Prosecutors said Najib abused his positions as prime minister, finance minister and 1MDB advisory board chairman to move vast sums from the fund into his personal accounts.
According to investigators, proceeds from the fund were used to bankroll high-end real estate, a luxury yacht and precious artworks, including a Monet and a van Gogh.
@AFP
