20 September 2018
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested the former prime minister Najib Razak at 4.13pm yesterday, after questioning him at their headquarters. He will be taken to the Sessions Court at 3pm today. He had been arrested previously and charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering over the scandal at the 1MDB state fund. The case was fixed for distant 2019. We do not know where the present arrest will lead to.
But in the meantime, more and more skeletons are being found in the closet promising darker days ahead for him. For example, see: Malaysia: Deepak claims Najib forced him to engage Shafee as lawyer; Malaysia: Ex-Premier Najib’s Lawyer arrested on money laundering charges; Malaysia: Ex-spy agency chief Hasanah remanded for pocketing election funds.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) says that it has completed only 50% of the investigations. Other 50% investigation is being impeded because some of the key witnesses have disappeared or fled the country on encouragement by the previous administration. MACC did not reveal the names of missing key witnesses. Casey Tang Keng Chee and Jasmine Loo Ai Swan are two 1MDB executives who have fled the country and are wanted by MACC. A key witness, on the run, since the Pakatan Harapan government came to power, was brought back to the country last week from Thailand. Thai police helped in tracking down of the man. He has since agreed to cooperate and will be a key prosecution witness.
In fact, more of the critical information relating to 1MDB has been coming from foreign countries such as United States, Singapore, Switzerland and Hong Kong, than from MACC.
Several documents revealed by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to confirm that the money he received was indeed a donation from the Saudi royal family were allegedly not signed by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz Al-Saud himself.
The Edge Weekly reported that Mohammad Abdullah Al Koman, who claimed to be the representative of the Saudi prince, had told the investigators that he was the person who prepared the letters and signed all of them on behalf of the prince.
Investigators believe that there is no clear evidence to support the claim that the money transferred from Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners and Tanore Finance were contributions from Saudi Arabian royalty.
The Edge Weekly also said that there were three similar letters, supposed to be from the prince, that were presented to AmBank between 2011 and 2013 by Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who was managing Najib’s account.
Mohammad Abdullah told investigators that Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners was owned by the family of the Saudi king at the time and Eric Tan was authorised to manage their assets.
Mohammad Abdullah told the investigators that Tanore Finance belonged to the Saudi royal family and Tan was also managing the assets for them. A letter dated 1 March 2013 said that USD800 million would be transferred from Tanore Finance to Najib.
Eric Tan Kim Loong, 40, is an associate of Low Taek Jho or Jho Low. He served as a proxy for Low in numerous financial transactions. He was the beneficial owner of several bank accounts, including in Singapore, into which stolen 1MDB funds were transferred. It was through Tan’s bank accounts the US$2.36 billion originating from 1MDB was moved to the accounts of various people, including former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, at the instruction of Jho Low.
We see here, the invisible hands of Jho Low manipulating Mohammad Abdullah Al Koman of Saudi Arabia.
Najib Razak defends the authenticity of several letters by saying that it is common for staff members to sign letters on behalf of their employers.
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Najib, is expected to formally answer up to 20 criminal charges of money laundering. She is alleged to have purchased hormone-based anti-ageing products from the United States worth just over RM1 million. It is alleged that funds from SRC International were used to pay for these supplements. SRC at that time was a subsidiary of 1MDB and is now owned by Ministry of finance. It was also alleged that she used funds from the same source for redecoration of two of her properties. New Straits Times reported.
Fall of Najib is also leading UMNO to its demise. On Tuesday evening, two UMNO stalwarts Mustapa Mohamed and Anifah Aman announced their resignation from the party. Since the elections, five members of parliament have resigned from UMNO and now sit as independents.
UMNO was built over a period of six decades and had played an important role in developing the country rapidly and in upholding Malay and Islamic rights. Najib has to take the blame for breaking UMNO because of his blatant crooked deals. It has now come to a stage that even when he tells the truth, the people are not prepared to believe him.
Related: Malaysia: Former Prime Minister arrested on corruption charges.
