Najib finishes second round of questioning by anti-graft body

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Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak returns to an anti-graft agency to explain why millions of dollars suspiciously ended up in his account just two weeks after a shocking election defeat ended his near decade long rule.
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak arriving at the anti-graft agency's headquarters yesterday morning. He later told reporters that his session started at 10am and ended at 4.30pm, with 40 minutes for him to rest and pray.
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak arriving at the anti-graft agency's headquarters yesterday morning. He later told reporters that his session started at 10am and ended at 4.30pm, with 40 minutes for him to rest and pray. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak completed another day of questioning at the anti-graft agency's headquarters yesterday, spending more than six hours on his second visit there this week.

He was helping with investigations into SRC International, a former subsidiary of troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Datuk Seri Najib is accused of receiving RM42 million (S$14.2 million) into his personal accounts that allegedly originated from SRC.

He emerged from the Malay-sian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at 4.45pm, and said the questioning had concluded.

"I have given my statement to the best of my abilities," he told reporters. He said that his session started at 10am and ended at 4.30pm, with 40 minutes for him to rest and pray.

"It was done professionally," added Mr Najib. "They (MACC) said the questioning was completed."

He declined to answer further questions. He was questioned for more than four hours on Tuesday on the SRC issue.

1MDB whistle-blower Xavier Andre Justo, a former director at Petrosaudi International, was also spotted at the MACC at 9am yesterday.

The Swiss national, who has met Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad twice in recent days, is a key figure in the 1MDB saga.

He is believed to have shared information on 1MDB with Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, whose site claimed in 2015 that nearly US$700 million (S$939 million) was funnelled into Mr Najib's bank account.

Mr Najib has denied all allegations, and in 2016 was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Malaysian authorities.

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Mr Najib's second trip to the MACC follows fresh revelations that cash seized from central Kuala Lumpur apartments linked to him totalled RM130 million. Sources told The Star on Wednesday that jewellery found in the same police operation could be worth in the region of RM200 million.

The renewed probe into 1MDB and Mr Najib's questioning come after the shock May 9 election defeat of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, formerly led by Mr Najib, after six decades in power.

Malaysia's new Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has vowed to recover billions of dollars allegedly misappropriated from the state fund.

Representatives from pro-BN pressure group Jaringan Melayu Malaysia turned up at the MACC earlier in the afternoon to ask the agency to reinvestigate past allegations of abuse of power against Dr Mahathir.

Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, former director of communications at the Finance Ministry, told reporters that 13 reports had been made against Dr Mahathir during his first stint as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

These relate to cases such as the financial scandal at Perwaja Steel, foreign exchange losses at the central bank and the buyout of Malaysia Airlines.

Mr Lokman added that he had lodged a police report on Wednesday night against new anti-graft chief Mohd Shukri Abdull for failing to report an attempted bribe.

Datuk Seri Shukri had revealed in an emotional press conference on Tuesday that he was offered a bribe from an MP to halt the investigation on 1MDB.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 25, 2018, with the headline Najib finishes second round of questioning by anti-graft body. Subscribe