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Thepresssecretaryto Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak reiterated on Thursday (July 21) that the Attorney General hadfound that no crime was committed in a probe into1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) but said Malaysia will fully cooperate with any lawful investigation into the debt-ridden state investor.
"Malaysian authorities have led the way in investigations into 1MDB. The company has been the subject of multiple investigations within Malaysia, including by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Auditor General and bi-partisan Public Accounts Committee," Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin said in a statement.
"After comprehensive review, the Attorney General found that no crime was committed. 1MDB is still the subject of an investigation by the Royal Malaysia Police," he added.
Healsonoted the civil lawsuitbrought by the US Justice Department to seize assets that it claimed were bought with money pilfered from 1MDB.
"We note the United States Department of Justice's civil lawsuits brought against various assets. As previously stated, the Malaysian Government will fully cooperate with any lawful investigation of Malaysian companies or citizens in accordance with international protocols.
"As the Prime Minister has always maintained, if any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception," said the press secretary.
In a separate statement,1MDBsaid "it is not a party to the civil suit, does not have any assets in the United States of America, nor has it benefited from the various transactions described in the civil suit.”
In a development which could impact the Malaysian political scene, theUSJusticeDepartmenton Wednesday (July 20)moved to seize more than US$1 billion (S$1.35billion) in assets allegedly bought with money stolenfrom 1MDB.
Thecourt filings made thinly veiled references to Mr Najib, as theUSalleged that billions of dollars were siphoned off by his stepson Riza Aziz, andfamily friend Jho Low, aMalaysian financier andconfidant of the prime minister.
The filings also namedMr Mohamed Badawy al-Husseiny, a former official at a government fund in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, that participated in deals with 1MDB, and former Abu Dhabi government representative Khadem Al Qubaisi.
The Justice Departmentalleged that pilfered funds were notably spent on fine art and high-endreal estate, and Mr Riza also invested more than US$100 million to finance the 2013 Hollywood financial crime caper “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The Wall Street Journal had reported that US$681 million in funds linked to 1MDB was deposited into Mr Najib'spersonal bank account, but the prime minister had denied any wrongdoing.
Malaysia’s AttorneyGeneralApandi Ali said in January that the money was a political donation from the Saudi royal family and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir also said in April that the funds wired into Mr Najib’s personal bank account was a “genuine” donation from Saudi Arabia.
(THESTRAITS TIMES)
