14 September 2018
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represents Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak in relation to 1MDB court case. He received 9.5 million ringgits ($2.3 million) of funds from Najib in 2013 and 2014. During this period, he acted as prosecutor in Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal case. Anwar was convicted and sent to jail. Anwar is the leader of the ruling People’s Justice Party, and he’s expected to succeed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Shafee’s bail was set at RM1 million and he was asked to surrender his passports. He was also charged for not declaring the amount for income tax. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges. If MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) charges him jointly Najib in the RM9.5 million case, he would not be able to defend Najib and himself in “the joint trial”.
Referring to the arrest Anwar said that Shafee should never have been allowed to prosecute the appeal as appointing an outside prosecutor is not an ordinary practice by the Attorney-General. It is even more irregular as Shafee was known to be close confidante of Najib.
Shafee claimed that it was Mahathir Mohamad who had wanted him to handle the prosecution for Anwar Ibrahim’s appeals. He said he was told of this by Dr Mahathir himself.
Shafee said that the RM9.5 million, was for legal services fees for 46 election petition files in 2004 and 2006.
Najib claimed that Shafee’s arrest was an attempt to intimidate or disqualify the latter and other lawyers from representing him and to deny him a fair trial. New Straits Times reported.
Police are questioning more than 50 individuals who received payments from a sum of $1 billion) that entered the personal bank account of former prime minister Najib Razak. Straits Time reported.
Sarawak Report revealed that on 25th October 2012 Prime Minister Najib Razak paid Pahang Sultan RM2 million from his own bank account.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US$681 million deposited in Najib’s bank account had originated from Tanore Finance Corp, whose source of funds was 1MDB’s third bond issue raised in 2013 purportedly for a joint venture with Abu Dhabi Malaysia Investment Company (ADMIC). Tanore is beneficially owned by Eric Tan Kim Loong, an associate of fugitive businessperson Jho Low. Malaysiakini reported.
Najib claimed that he had returned the money that was deposited into his account. According to DOJ the moneys were returned to Tanore. There is no record of transfers from Tanore on to any Saudis.
Najib uploaded certain documents on Facebook which he claimed were proof that the Saudi Arabian royalty had donated US$100 million to him back in 2011.
According to one of the documents, which appears to be a letter from Saudi Prince Abdulaziz Al-Saud dated Feb 1, 2011 and addressed to Najib, the latter was gifted with the money in recognition of his contribution to the Islamic world.
Najib said that he would show further with proof, and also explain the donations he received in the years after 2011, including the issue of the RM2.6 billion.
