Malaysian police probing 1MDB question those paid out of US$972m in Najib's account

Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim of the Royal Malaysian Police at the press conference on the 1MDB investigation, held at the national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 13, 2018. PHOTO: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) - Malaysian police investigating a scandal at state fund 1MDB are questioning more than 50 individuals who received payments from a sum of US$972 million (S$1.3 billion) that entered the personal bank account of former prime minister Najib Razak, an official said on Thursday (Sept 13).

A total of US$4.5 billion was misappropriated by high-level officials of the fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and their associates, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said.

The fund, founded by Najib, is at the centre of money laundering probes in at least six countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

Police are recording statements of those who received funds from Najib's personal account, among them some with political affiliations and foreigners, said Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

"We are in the process of taking their statements," the deputy police chief told a news conference.

Asked if any of the 50 would be charged in the investigation, he replied: "There is a possibility."

Reuters could not immediately reach a spokesman for Najib to seek comment.

A total of 132 money laundering transactions have been identified and further investigations are being pursued, the police said in a statement later.

Police added that statements have been taken from 64 people, including Najib and his daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib, with more to come, as they track down those involved, or persons of interest, in the scandal.

Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving Malaysia after his decade in power ended in a shock election defeat in May, and the new prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, relaunched an investigation into the troubled fund.

The scandal erupted in 2015 after media reports that about US$681 million was deposited into Najib's bank account.

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining the funds were donations from a Saudi royal and the bulk handed back.

Tan Sri Noor Rashid said a total of US$972 million went into Najib's account, however, after moving through accounts linked to several companies, some of which were named as Good Star Limited, Aabar and Tanore.

Malaysian and global investigations, including charge sheets filed by the US DOJ, have identified these firms as among those used to allegedly siphon off billions of dollars from 1MDB.

Many of the transactions happened overseas and the police have sought the help of foreign agencies, Mr Noor Rashid added.

Najib has pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges against him this year in connection with a former 1MDB unit.

His lawyer was also charged with money laundering on Thursday.

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