The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) is appalled that Malaysians woke up today to yet another shocking and damning financial allegation involving Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) is appalled that Malaysians woke up today to yet another shocking and damning financial allegation involving Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
A report in the reputable US-based financial paper Wall Street Journal claimed that nearly US$700 million were allegedly deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts.
Again, the report claimed the money allegedly siphoned into Najib’s bank accounts are linked to the country’s debt-ridden investment fund – 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The embattled 1MDB – which is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry headed by Najib – is already mired in accusations of not being able to account for RM42 billion in debts.
WSJ based its findings on documents – bank transfer forms and flow charts – from a government probe, which have also been obtained by Sarawak Report, a website dedicated to exposing the alleged murky deals behind 1MDB, Najib’s brainchild.
With such serious allegations, we call upon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to immediately freeze Najib’s personal accounts and launch a thorough investigation into the WSJ and Sarawak Report claims.
This is the time for MACC to act professionally, independently and impartially, and act according to its jurisdiction to probe the allegations, which is not only shocking but unprecedented in Malaysian history.
MACC can act to freeze Najib’s bank accounts pending probe according to Section 17(a) and 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
We commend the Commission for recently freezing 375 accounts of companies and individuals worth more than RM560 million and seized 500 logs following a raid on 27 sawmills and log ponds as well as 21 business premises in Sarawak.
It it high time for MACC to repeat its courageous act as duty calls for the Commission to act in the best interest of all Malaysians.
Such serious allegations have raised questions about Najib’s integrity and credibility several notches higher as the PM have been mired in several other scandals as well.
We are still seeking answers and are nowhere nearer to the truth over the RM7.3 billion purchase of two Scorpene submarines from French shipyard builder DCNS, where a case against the company for allegedly paying illegal kickbacks to top Malaysian officials, is pending in the French courts.
Najib, it is not only one scandal too many, but the scandals, if repeated often enough ends up sounding like the truth. If indeed, the documents were leaked or tampered with to sabotage the Prime Minister, the culprits must be apprehended immediately.
But until Najib and the Malaysian government comes clean about 1MDB’s unaccounted RM42 billion in debts, these shameful allegations continue to undermine the country’s reputation in the eyes of the world. We call for Najib to relinquish his positions as Finance Minister and Prime Minister, while investigations are ongoing, to ensure no executive interference.
Chronology of Sarawak Report:
March 2013:
A total of US$681,999,976 (RM2.6 billion) was wire transferred by the Abu Dhabi fund Aabar into the Najib’s private AmBank account in Kuala Lumpur.
March 12, 2013:
Abu Dhabi fund Aabar, wholly owned Falcon Bank, allegedly deposited the money into Najib’s AmPrivate Banking account after the signing of a so-called ‘strategic partnership’ between Malaysia and Abu Dhabi.
The Malaysian government then issued a US$3 billion bond as part of a ‘50-50 joint venture between 1MDB and Aabar’ to develop the Tun Razak Exchange project.”
Sarawak Report also alleged that this information has been sent to a number of Malaysia’s top law enforcers, including the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.
December 26, 2014:
There were two earlier transactions of RM27 million and RM5 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd into the AmPrivate Banking account of Najib.
February 2015:
Another RM42 million had also been allegedly transferred to Najib’s accounts from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a company linked to 1MDB.
This money was allegedly lent by the public pension fund KWAP – the country’s second-biggest pension fund – and never accounted for.
February 10, 2015:
SRC International allegedly transferred RM10 million into Najib’s AmPrivate Bank for a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
Note: SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, had power of attorney over Najib’s accounts.
Statement issued by C4 Directors
Cynthia Gabriel
Tan Sri Simon Sipaun
Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa
Richard Yeoh
