Husband of former Bank Negara chief under police probe

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysian police said yesterday that they are investigating the husband of the country's former central bank head for allegedly receiving funds linked to 1MDB, a state fund at the centre of a massive corruption scandal.

The authorities in Malaysia and the US have said around US$4.5 billion (S$6 billion) was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), in a globe-spanning scandal that has implicated the country's former prime minister.

Mr Tawfiq Ayman, husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, is facing a money laundering investigation over the alleged transfer of 1MDB-linked funds to a bank account he owns in Singapore, Malaysian police said.

"Given that the case investigation involves evidence in Malaysia and other countries, the Royal Malaysian Police are taking further action by seeking mutual legal assistance... to obtain statements from abroad," commercial crime investigations director Zainuddin Yaacob said in a statement.

When asked about the police probe, BNM referred to a statement saying that it disclosed all information received from foreign financial intelligence units to the relevant domestic law enforcement agencies.

Malaysian financial daily The Edge reported last Saturday that BNM had been alerted in 2015 and 2016 during Dr Zeti's tenure as governor about suspicious transactions involving a company owned by Mr Tawfiq and the couple's son.

The funds came from accounts linked to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, The Edge reported, citing official documents it had seen.

REUTERS