British embassy questioned whether Malaysian PM cleared of corruption

Photo : The Guardian

The British embassy in Kuala Lumpur has questioned a claim by the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, that his country’s anti-graft agency had cleared him of corruption, according to a diplomatic cable seen by the Guardian.

Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission (MACC) said in August last year that its investigation had found that nearly US$700m had been deposited into Najib’s personal bank account from unnamed “donors”.

It did not elaborate on the donor or why they transferred funds to Najib’s private accounts but said the money was not from the debt-laden state fund 1MDB, which had been the focus of the scandal.
Five days later, Najib told members of his ruling party that the MACC had cleared him of corruption allegations.

But a diplomatic telegram sent to London from the British High Commission in the Malaysian capital suggested the embassy queried that claim.

“Najib announced the MACC had exonerated him of corruption and the funds in his bank account were a donation from the Middle East and not from 1MDB,” it said.

“There has been no official MACC statement to this effect.”

Read more at The Guardian

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MACC nabs GLC handling executive with ‘Datuk’ pretension over graft

The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission has incarcerated a handling executive of a GLC for purported abuse of energy and graft. — Pic from Malaysia Today

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — A supervision related association handling executive with a ‘Datuk’ pretension was incarcerated by a Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission currently for purported abuse of energy and graft.

MACC review executive Datuk Azam Baki pronounced a male was incarcerated during his bureau in a banking association in a sovereign collateral during 2pm, after receiving a open tip off.
“He is believed to have been concerned in a bank complement sell proposal and a edition of a book on a inhabitant leader.

“RM15 million was given to a edition association owned by an particular with interests to a Datuk though until today, no books have been published,” he told Bernama.

Following that MACC had solidified RM8.1 million from several accounts, including those underneath a Datuk’s name and several other individuals.

MACC had launched a large scale operation to detain those who had dissipated their energy and vital over their means, in line with a matter of MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad to Bernama, recently, to purify adult a supervision use from corruption, malpractices and injustice of power.

More on Malaysia Today

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MACC nabs GLC managing director with ‘Datuk’ title over graft

GLC Managing Director With 'Datuk' Title Detained Over Alleged Power Abuse, Graft - MACC

Three more TNB officers remanded over corruption case

KOTA BARU, Aug 21 — Three more Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) officers are being remanded for seven days from today to facilitate investigations into a corruption case.

The remand orders on an engineer and two technicians were issued by magistrate Ahmad Adha Amir Yasser Amri, here, today.

According to an officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the three TNB officers, aged between 30 and 50, were being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly using their post or position to obtain bribes.

The three suspects had arrived at the Magistrate’s Court about 12.45 pm under tight security. They were detained at the MACC office, here, yesterday when they came to give their statements.

Their arrest followed the remand of a TNB senior officer for seven days from Aug 16 to assist in investigations into alleged corruption, abuse of power and money laundering. — Bernama

Source : Malay Mail Online

KOTA BARU, Aug 21 — Three more Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) officers are being remanded for seven days from today to facilitate investigations into a corruption case.
The remand orders on an engineer and two technicians were issued by magistrate Ahmad Adha Amir Yasser Amri, here, today.
According to an officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the three TNB officers, aged between 30 and 50, were being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly using their post or position to obtain bribes.
The three suspects had arrived at the Magistrate’s Court about 12.45 pm under tight security. They were detained at the MACC office, here, yesterday when they came to give their statements.
Their arrest followed the remand of a TNB senior officer for seven days from Aug 16 to assist in investigations into alleged corruption, abuse of power and money laundering. — Bernama
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-more-tnb-officers-remanded-over-corruption-case#sthash.GFBhMPSs.dpuf

KOTA BARU, Aug 21 — Three more Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) officers are being remanded for seven days from today to facilitate investigations into a corruption case.
The remand orders on an engineer and two technicians were issued by magistrate Ahmad Adha Amir Yasser Amri, here, today.
According to an officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the three TNB officers, aged between 30 and 50, were being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly using their post or position to obtain bribes.
The three suspects had arrived at the Magistrate’s Court about 12.45 pm under tight security. They were detained at the MACC office, here, yesterday when they came to give their statements.
Their arrest followed the remand of a TNB senior officer for seven days from Aug 16 to assist in investigations into alleged corruption, abuse of power and money laundering. — Bernama
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-more-tnb-officers-remanded-over-corruption-case#sthash.GFBhMPSs.dpuf

Malaysia 1MDB Scandal: Emirati Businessman Khadem Al Qubaisi Arrested In Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi authorities took Emirati businessman Khadem Al Qubaisi into custody for his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding Malaysian state-run fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday citing people familiar with the matter.

Qubaisi, believed to be a key figure in the alleged fraud, was arrested last week as part of an Abu Dhabi probe into fraud and corruption, according to the Journal. His assets in the United Arab Emirates had been previously frozen and he was also barred from leaving the country.

Qubaisi is also being investigated by American authorities for his dealings and funds he's suspected of acquiring through the alleged 1MDB corruption, sources told the Journal. In last month’s court filings, the Justice Department sought to freeze his $100 million worth property in the U.S. The officials suspect he bought the real estate from money derived from the 1MDB fraud.

The U.S. government complaint reportedly said that Qubaisi got about $470 million illegally from the Malaysian fund. According to prosecutors, he allegedly bought a $51 million penthouse in New York’s Walker Tower and two mansions in Los Angeles worth a total of $46 million.

Read more in International Business Times

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Malaysia’s slide towards authoritarianism

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, centre, arrives for an Eid al-Fitr event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 21 July, 2016 as lawmakers demanded he go on leave and be held accountable after US officials initiated action to seize more than US$1 billion they say was stolen from a state investment fund by people close to the premier.
(AP/Vincent Thian)

 Malaysia, once considered a model of liberalism in south-east Asia, seems headed towards overt authoritarianism, with the arrest of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Lim is of one of the few remaining prominent politicians standing against Prime Minister Najib Razak, and is facing what many considered politically motivated charges of corruption.


Lim, who was a member of the Democratic Action Party, has led one of the few regions in Malaysia without a Malay majority, since 2008. His arrest points to a shrinking space for opposition of any kind in the resource-rich nation of almost 30 million people.

“Malaysian society is fast becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which labels such as ‘moderates’, ‘extremists’, ‘national security’ and, ‘sedition’...have become relative, depending on how they are defined by the state,” said Kua Kia Soong, an advisor with the Malaysian Human Rights NGO SUARAM, in a press statement.

The latest move comes more than a year and a half since the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, in which US$700 million was allegedly embezzled from a government-run development fund into Najib’s bank account, and billions more went missing.

The government denied the charges, claiming the deposit was a personal gift from the Saudi Royal Family. Instead of properly investigating 1MDB, the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front, or BN) coalition has undertaken a gradual but intensifying clampdown against anyone who has spoken out against the prime minister.

Read more on Equal Times

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Fifty-five per cent out of the 1,902 arrests made over corruption cases in the country from 2013 involved those aged between 20 and 40 years.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Razali Ibrahim said various programmes had been carried out to reduce the involvement of youths in corruption.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was also given the responsibility to get close to the younger generation in an effort to tackle the problem.
“This is a big number. We have carried out various programmes to reduce corruption which must be nurtured through education,” told a press conference after closing the 6th Anti-Corruption Secretariat Convention at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), here today
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/majority-of-corruption-arrests-involves-those-below-40-years-says-minister#sthash.75QnHoRV.dpuf

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Fifty-five per cent out of the 1,902 arrests made over corruption cases in the country from 2013 involved those aged between 20 and 40 years.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Razali Ibrahim said various programmes had been carried out to reduce the involvement of youths in corruption.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was also given the responsibility to get close to the younger generation in an effort to tackle the problem.
“This is a big number. We have carried out various programmes to reduce corruption which must be nurtured through education,” told a press conference after closing the 6th Anti-Corruption Secretariat Convention at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), here today.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/majority-of-corruption-arrests-involves-those-below-40-years-says-minister#sthash.75QnHoRV.dpuf

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Fifty-five per cent out of the 1,902 arrests made over corruption cases in the country from 2013 involved those aged between 20 and 40 years.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Razali Ibrahim said various programmes had been carried out to reduce the involvement of youths in corruption.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was also given the responsibility to get close to the younger generation in an effort to tackle the problem.
“This is a big number. We have carried out various programmes to reduce corruption which must be nurtured through education,” told a press conference after closing the 6th Anti-Corruption Secretariat Convention at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), here today.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/majority-of-corruption-arrests-involves-those-below-40-years-says-minister#sthash.75QnHoRV.dpuf

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Fifty-five per cent out of the 1,902 arrests made over corruption cases in the country from 2013 involved those aged between 20 and 40 years.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Razali Ibrahim said various programmes had been carried out to reduce the involvement of youths in corruption.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was also given the responsibility to get close to the younger generation in an effort to tackle the problem.
“This is a big number. We have carried out various programmes to reduce corruption which must be nurtured through education,” told a press conference after closing the 6th Anti-Corruption Secretariat Convention at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), here today.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/majority-of-corruption-arrests-involves-those-below-40-years-says-minister#sthash.75QnHoRV.dpuf

Malaysia's new anti-corruption chief aware of daunting challenge ahead

PUTRAJAYA: Newly appointed chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Dzulkifli Ahmad said in a press statement on Monday (Aug 1) he is "aware and conscious" of the daunting challenge that awaits him.

"It is my sincere hope that the MACC and I will continue to have the cooperation and support from all parties, towards our efforts to eradicate corruption in Malaysia," Dzulkifli added.

Arriving promptly at the commission's headquarters at 8am Monday morning, he was welcomed by MACC's top officials led by Deputy Commissioner (Management and Professionalism) Datuk Seri Mohd Jamidan Abdullah.

His appointment is effective from Aug 1 till Jul 31, 2021.

Dzukifli said he plans "to lead the MACC in its mission to spearhead anti-corruption efforts in Malaysia by being fair, firm and trustworthy".

He served in the Attorney-General's Chambers as the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team director. His predecessor, Abu Kassim Mohamed, will now serve as an integrity consultant at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM )'s Law Faculty.

Source : Channel News Asia

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Bitcoin Thrives in Malaysia

Increasing financial corruption and a weakening currency pushes people to try alternative financial systems like Bitcoin. No wonder that Bitcoin is thriving in Malaysia. Photo from The Cointelegraph

1MDB – Malaysia's Brush with High Level Corruption

1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1MDB as it is popularly known, is a state investment vehicle set up in 2009 to turn Kuala Lampur into a global financial hub. It started to run into problems in 2015 and has missed repayments on its debt obligations this year.

More than 10 countries across the world (including US, Switzerland and Singapore) have opened investigations into its affairs.

After a furore over corruption allegations, the advisory board of 1MDB headed by Malaysian PM Najib Razak was dissolved in May 2016 and a fresh board appointed.

Ordinary Malaysians Frustrated

The corruption-tainted transactions of 1MDB, which was set up using public money, has left ordinary Malaysians frustrated. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief stepped down 2 years before his term ended, in the midst of the probe into the 1MDB scandal.

Certain liabilities of 1MDB are guaranteed by the Malaysian Government and the failure of 1MDB will increase the budget deficit of Malaysia.

The Malaysian Ringgit has steadily depreciated since the start of 2015, driven by low commodity prices (primarily oil) and the scandal surrounding 1MDB.

Read more on The CoinTelegraph 

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PUTRAJAYA, Aug 14 — Stern measures including freezing, confiscating and forfeiting properties acquired by corrupt practises and abuse of power will be enforced more aggressively to combat corruption in the country.
The new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad said the actions would be carried out by using its existing enforcement power and capabilities.
“Among the actions which could be taken are with the provisions of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama yesterday.
“In my view, the main factor driving the growing corruption is greed among those vested with power and position regardless of how high or low the posts they hold.   
“The motivation for them to get involved in corruption is property and money, so MACC will ensure whatever acquisitions made from income of corrupt and abuse of power means will be frozen and seized by and forfeited to the government, and not just by bringing them, to face justice in court,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/macc-to-freeze-seize-and-forfeit-ill-gotten-wealth-from-corruption#sthash.yiew1QZm.dpuf

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 14 — Stern measures including freezing, confiscating and forfeiting properties acquired by corrupt practises and abuse of power will be enforced more aggressively to combat corruption in the country.
The new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad said the actions would be carried out by using its existing enforcement power and capabilities.
“Among the actions which could be taken are with the provisions of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama yesterday.
“In my view, the main factor driving the growing corruption is greed among those vested with power and position regardless of how high or low the posts they hold.   
“The motivation for them to get involved in corruption is property and money, so MACC will ensure whatever acquisitions made from income of corrupt and abuse of power means will be frozen and seized by and forfeited to the government, and not just by bringing them, to face justice in court,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/macc-to-freeze-seize-and-forfeit-ill-gotten-wealth-from-corruption#sthash.yiew1QZm.dpuf

Malaysia anti-graft chief quits job early

Najib Razak, Malaysian prime minister. Photo from ft.com

The head of Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency, who doggedly investigated prime minister Najib Razak’s finances along with the broader scandal around state investment fund 1MDB, is quitting his post early amid intensifying political pressure.

Abu Kassim Mohamed, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, is due to step down on Monday, more than two years ahead of the scheduled end of his term in December 2018. He will be replaced by Dzulkifli Ahmad, an official in the attorney-general’s chambers.

Mr Kassim, who denies that the government has pressed him to stand down, has come under attack from Mr Najib’s supporters. He is among three current or former civil servants against whom a police report was filed last week by an official in Mr Najib’s ruling United Malays National Organisation.

According to local media, the police report accuses the three, who also include former central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz and former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, of providing confidential information to foreign agencies.

The MACC leadership was praised recently by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for its “tremendous courage”, as US officials announced they were seeking to seize assets allegedly acquired with misappropriated Malaysian state funds.

Read more on ft.com

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PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has named a new head of its anti-corruption commission as three top officials are either leaving or transferred from the organisation, in the midst of a corruption scandal plaguing state investment firm 1MDB.

On Aug 1, Dzulkifli Ahmad from the Attorney-General's Chambers takes over as chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from Abu Kassim Mohamed, who is leaving the anti-graft body two years ahead of his contract completion date.

On Friday (Jul 29), it was revealed that two of Abu Kassim's deputies will also be leaving the MACC. The MACC deputy chief commissioner in charge of prevention is being transferred to the Immigration Department where he will serve as Director-General. Deputy chief commissioner for operations Mohd Shukri Abdull is set to resign later this year as he is of retirement age.

The news comes as controversial state investment firm 1MDB is in the spotlight again, this time over graft allegations from the US Department of Justice. The DOJ believes more than US$3 billion has been siphoned off from 1MDB due in part to corrupt officials.

1MDB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Malaysian Ministry of Finance. Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also finance minister, served as head of 1MDB's advisory board.

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Malaysia names new anti-graft chief as corruption scandal drags on

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia appointed a new chief of its anti-graft agency on Friday, replacing a previous head who stepped down two years before his term ended amid a high-profile graft investigation linked to Prime Minister Najib Razak.
 
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has led investigations into allegations of graft and financial mismanagement at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the transfer of 2.6 billion ringgit ($639.13 million) to Najib's personal bank accounts.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

The multi-billion dollar scandal has shaken investors in Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy and dented confidence in Najib's ruling coalition.

The government said in a statement Dzulkifli Ahmad would be the new MACC chief commissioner from Aug 1.

Dzulkifli was previously at the office of Attorney General Apandi Ali, who cleared Najib of any criminal offences in 1MDB cases in January. Critics have questioned Apandi's decision to clear the prime minister.

Dzulkifli had been touted as a possible successor for weeks before the announcement, despite calls by anti-corruption groups and civil rights organizations to appoint a leader from within MACC, on the grounds that would be more conducive to maintaining its integrity.

This month, the U.S. Justice Department filed civil lawsuits seeking to seize more than $1 billion of assets allegedly siphoned off from 1MDB, saying they were part of "an international conspiracy to launder money".

The lawsuits do not name Najib, but refer to a high-ranking government official who received more than $700 million of the misappropriated funds.

A source familiar with the investigations told Reuters the official, identified in the lawsuits as "Malaysian Official 1", was Najib.

Read more on Business Insider

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Malaysian premier Najib Razak is believed to be linked to the stolen funds.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has effectively abandoned his bureaucrats linked to the long-running scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), saying they would have to fend for themselves against legal action launched in the United States.

“The civil suits brought by the U.S. Justice Department regarding 1MDB must be given space and opportunity for the judicial process to be carried out. Any individual who has been named must clear their own names,” Najib wrote in a social media post.

Najib is unnamed in the suits but is reportedly referred to as Malaysian Official 1 in the American lawsuits. Those who have read all the court documents say he is referred to 36 times.

The United States is suing for the return of $1 billion in assets from $3.5 billion allegedly misappropriated by the fund, which has also accumulated losses of $11 billion. Recent reports also claim a secret deal was hatched between Najib and a Chinese state company to pay off those debts.

Of this, Najib has faced allegations that almost $700 million was transferred from the fund he founded in 2009 to his personal bank accounts ahead of elections in 2013.

U.S. lawsuits also say money was moved between an account held by Malaysian Official 1 and Eric Tan Kim Loong, a business associate of financier Low Taek Jho, a confidante of Najib.

Also named was Najib’s stepson and founder of Red Granite Pictures, Riza Aziz. Perhaps ironically, Red Granite produced the Oscar-nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street.

Najib denies any allegation of wrongdoing.

Read more on The Diplomat

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Photo: malaysia-today.net

A National Security Bill, which will come into force on Monday, will give powers to a council, the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak heads that are similar to the ones that were used by the late president Suharto of Indonesia and the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

It is said that Mr Najib is determined to gain sweeping dictatorial powers as part of a desperate move to hold on to power while he is wrapped in the country's largest corruption scandal, the 1MDB.

This bill of a new National Security Council Act will allow the government to declare areas including the whole of the country, as a security area, in which he and the authorities could deploy forces to search any individual, vehicle or premise without a warrant, and conduct arrests.

It also allows investigators to dispense with formal inquiries into killings by the police or armed forces.

This new law effectively gives Mr Najib authority to impose powers at any time that would normally only be exercised in a general emergency.

Najib’s ruling coalition promoted the law as a means to counter threats to security, in predominantly Muslim Malaysia, which has long dealt with a fringe element of radical Islamists.

Mr Najib has defended the new powers, saying other countries had followed Malaysia's lead in combating terrorism.

"We were criticised by some quarters for passing some of these laws, but my government will never apologise for placing the safety and security of the Malaysian people first," he said.

Malaysian police claimed on July 4 that Islamic State was responsible for a grenade attack on a nightclub near Kuala Lumpur.

But critics say the law’s expansive powers threaten human rights and democracy in the emerging nation and could next be used to silence critics of the One Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund scandal.

Read more on The Online Citizen

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Is Malaysia's Prime Minister at the Centre of a Billion Dollar Corruption Lawsuit in America?

This ‘Malaysian Official 1′ meme adopts the logo of 1Malaysia, a program of Prime Minister Najib Razak. Source: Facebook

After the Department of Justice in the United States filed lawsuits accusing Malaysian officials and their associates of laundering more than one billion US dollars through American institutions, Malaysians are wondering if ‘Malaysian Official 1,’ who is cited 36 times in the 136-page lawsuit, is actually their prime minister Najib Razak.

The Prime Minister controls the 1Malaysian Development Berhad (1MDB) investment firm, which is at the centre of the lawsuit. His stepson is also one of the accused. The lawsuit aims to recover 17 assets in the US, which have allegedly been acquired through 1MDB funds. The lawsuits claims 1MDB funds were spent on hotels, fine art, luxury real estate in New York, Los Angeles, and London, and even on the 2013 Hollywood film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

This is not the first time that Najib Razak's name has been implicated in a corruption scandal. Previously, he has been accused of pocketing more than 600 million dollars through anomalous transactions. After he was linked to several large dollar bank accounts, he claimed the funds were a political donation from a royal family in Saudi Arabia.

Read more on Global Voices

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Is Malaysia's Prime Minister at the Centre of a Billion Dollar Corruption Lawsuit in America?

This ‘Malaysian Official 1′ meme adopts the logo of 1Malaysia, a program of Prime Minister Najib Razak. Source: Facebook

After the Department of Justice in the United States filed lawsuits accusing Malaysian officials and their associates of laundering more than one billion US dollars through American institutions, Malaysians are wondering if ‘Malaysian Official 1,’ who is cited 36 times in the 136-page lawsuit, is actually their prime minister Najib Razak.

The Prime Minister controls the 1Malaysian Development Berhad (1MDB) investment firm, which is at the centre of the lawsuit. His stepson is also one of the accused. The lawsuit aims to recover 17 assets in the US, which have allegedly been acquired through 1MDB funds. The lawsuits claims 1MDB funds were spent on hotels, fine art, luxury real estate in New York, Los Angeles, and London, and even on the 2013 Hollywood film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

This is not the first time that Najib Razak's name has been implicated in a corruption scandal. Previously, he has been accused of pocketing more than 600 million dollars through anomalous transactions. After he was linked to several large dollar bank accounts, he claimed the funds were a political donation from a royal family in Saudi Arabia.

Read more on Global Voices

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Van Gogh and Monet paintings seized in 1MDB corruption investigation

The artworks were seized following a request from the US, one of several countries looking into alleged massive fraud at the Malaysian state fund.

La Maison de Vincent a Arles, by Vincent Van Gogh. Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian

 Switzerland has seized a painting by Vincent Van Gogh and two others by Claude Monet as part of the global investigation into Malaysia’s scandal-tainted sovereign wealth fund, an official said Friday.

The works were seized following a request from the United States, one of several countries probing alleged massive fraud at the Malaysian state fund 1MDB, said Swiss justice ministry spokeswoman Ingrid Reyser.

“The operation is over and we confiscated the three paintings,” Reyser told AFP in an email.

She declined to comment on where the paintings had been kept or the individuals involved.

Earlier this week, the US justice department filed lawsuits seeking to reclaim more than $1bn in assets linked to stolen or laundered 1MDB funds.

Artworks by Monet and Van Gogh were among the assets listed in the lawsuit filed at a California federal court.

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Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, right. Picture from The Australian

 The step-daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has issued a rebuke of her family, claiming her Wolf of Wall Street producer brother was paying the price for acting the “dutiful son”.

She further charged that the US government had “copped out” by not naming public officials ­involved in the multi-billion-­dollar heist from state development fund 1MDB.

In a statement uploaded to Twitter and Facebook, Azrene Soraya Abdul Aziz also appealed to her estranged mother Rosmah Mansor, the second wife of Mr Najib, not to throw her US-based brother Riza Aziz under a bus “so that you and your husband can get off scot-free”.

Mr Aziz, a co-founder of Hollywood production company Red Granite, was one of several people named in a US Justice ­Department lawsuit this week that seeks the seizure of $1.3 billion in assets bought with money stolen from the 1MDB Malaysian State Development fund he oversaw.

Red Granite, producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, said it had no reason to believe the money was “illegitimate” and Mr Aziz had done nothing wrong.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said he had seen the post but could not comment on private family matters.

“She has a right to say what she wants to say but I can say for sure that the mother and daughter have been estranged for many years. We are not responding to it at the moment,” he said.

Read more on The Australian

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US rejects account of how millions got to Najib

Malaysia has been betrayed by Prime Minister Najib Razak

US rejects account of how millions got to Najib

A US Justice Department complaint filed in federal court this week directly contradicts repeated assertions by the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, about the origins and purpose of hundreds of millions of dollars that ended up in his personal bank accounts.

While Mr Najib and other Malaysian officials have insisted that the money was a gift from an unidentified Saudi donor, the Justice Department said that it was stolen from a Malaysian government investment fund that Mr Najib oversaw. Mr Najib has said he never received any money from the fund.

The court filing, one of several complaints filed Wednesday in a federal money-laundering investigation, provides the first official public documentation of transactions that challenge Mr Najib’s version of events in a scandal that has battered his government for the past year.

The revelations could undermine his credibility and give new ammunition to a movement to force him from office. However, he maintains firm control over his governing party and has successfully stifled opposition with the firing of critics from party posts, the closing of online news outlets and the criminal prosecution of social media detractors and political opponents.

Read more on BangkokPost

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Malaysia has been betrayed by Prime Minister Najib Razak

Decision Time on Malaysia’s 1MDB 

Malaysia's Najib unmoved after U.S. lawsuits linked to 1MDB scandal

Decision Time on Malaysia’s 1MDB

U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday linked Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to hundreds of millions of dollars they believe were stolen from the Malaysian state-owned investment fund 1MDB. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to freeze more than $1 billion in assets from people connected to Mr. Najib, including his stepson Riza Aziz. The individuals named in the complaint allegedly used the money to buy real estate, artworks and other baubles of the jet set.

Mr. Najib denies all wrongdoing and spokesmen have dismissed critics as part of a conspiracy to overthrow an elected leader. Mr. Najib has previously said that $681 million that ended up in his personal accounts was a legal political donation from Saudi Arabia that was later mostly returned.

But Mr. Najib can’t escape responsibility if it is proved that national wealth held by 1MDB disappeared on his watch. He launched 1MDB in 2009, served as chairman of the advisory board, and oversaw it as Prime Minister and, concurrently, Finance Minister. The evidence of fraud connected to 1MDB from investigations in the U.S., Singapore, Switzerland and at least four other countries is damning. The U.S. Justice Department put the losses at $3.5 billion on Wednesday. The Swiss Attorney General’s office said earlier this year it suspects $4 billion was misappropriated.

Justice describes one of the people mentioned in the lawsuit​as “Malaysian Official 1,” who allegedly received hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB. Details about him match Mr. Najib, and a person with direct knowledge of the investigation confirmed to the Journal that it refers to the Malaysian Prime Minister.

Read more on WSJ

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1MDB scandal: 'Will the real Malaysian Official 1 please stand up?'

1MDB: Malaysia 'will co-operate' with US investigation

Malaysia's Najib unmoved after U.S. lawsuits linked to 1MDB scandal

Although U.S. prosecutors say billions of dollars were stolen from a state investment fund that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak founded and oversaw, his government was unmoved on Thursday by the allegations.

U.S. prosecutors said on Wednesday over $3.5 billion was diverted from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund that Najib founded in 2009 shortly after coming to power. The U.S. civil lawsuits are seeking to seize $1 billion of the allegedly embezzled assets that were transferred into the United States using shell companies.

The lawsuit does not name Najib but refers to a "Malaysian Official 1" - described as a high-ranking government official - who received some of the misappropriated funds, including $681 million in March 2013. A source familiar with the investigation later confirmed that "Malaysian Official 1" is Najib.

Political risk consultants Eurasia said since Najib was not directly named in the lawsuits that "will afford him protection".


"Najib has become accustomed to weathering international investigations," Eurasia said in a note to clients.

"Najib supporters placed in key positions across government (including in the Attorney General's office and the anti-corruption commission) will continue to shield the prime minister from any probe by blocking access to information or evidence that could implicate him," the note said.

Read more on Reuters

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Decision Time on Malaysia’s 1MDB

1MDB scandal: Singapore uncovers lapses at DBS, UBS, Standard Chartered 

1MDB scandal: 'Will the real Malaysian Official 1 please stand up?'

1MDB scandal: Singapore uncovers lapses at DBS, UBS, Standard Chartered

DBS, UBS and Standard Chartered have become embroiled in the scandal surrounding 1MDB, with Singapore's central bank saying it had found lapses and weaknesses related to the beleaguered Malaysian wealth fund.


The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Thursday that it found "lapses and weaknesses" in anti-money-laundering controls at the banks' Singapore operations and that it would be taking actions against them.

The preliminary investigation found "extensive layers of transactions and subterfuge aimed at disguising the nature of certain activities and fund flows," with shell companies in various jurisdictions used to conceal the funds' true beneficiaries.

In May, the MAS also completed a related investigation of BSI Singapore, which resulted in a decision to shut down that private bank, calling it at the time "the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector."

The MAS said the deficiencies at the three banks were related to lapses in specific processes and by individual officers, which would be met by "firm regulatory action," but the central bank added that the inspections didn't find pervasive weakness or staff misconduct, unlike at BSI Bank. 

Read more on CNBC

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U.S. Maps 1MDB Fraud Trail From Kuala Lumpur to Hollywood

1MDB scandal: 'Will the real Malaysian Official 1 please stand up?'

After years of speculation and allegations of corruption, Malaysians woke up to a major development in the 1MDB scandal.

The US Department of Justice said it would seize more than $1bn (£761m) in assets from the state fund and alleged that "Malaysian official 1" received hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB.

The individual, who was not named but was referenced 32 times, was described as a "high-ranking official in the Malaysian government".

Many Malaysians believe that the reference is to Prime Minister Najib Razak and the term started being used as a replacement for his name on social media. Mr Najib has always denied all wrongdoing.

'Will the real Malaysian Official 1 please stand up?'

Read more on BBC

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1MDB: Malaysia 'will co-operate' with US investigation

U.S. Maps 1MDB Fraud Trail From Kuala Lumpur to Hollywood 

Malaysia has been betrayed by Prime Minister Najib Razak

I have argued time and again that the greatest threat to the Muslim world is not the West, but rather, corruption and incompetence in administration in the Muslim countries themselves.

To this argument there were a number of crucial pieces of evidence. First of all, there is a clear inverse correlation between corruption and economic development not just in the Middle East, but globally. Secondly, Muslim countries are among the most corrupt countries in the world, and this maps well to the problems we know well from the region.

In this sense, the abundance of natural resources has served to mask much of the problem, as per capita wealth in the region comes out as much higher than it would have been for a given level of corruption, and that distorts the perception of societal problems in these countries.

For another, that abundance of wealth can be used to buy off the acquiescence of the population to an otherwise questionable regime, as is the case with the benefits that these states lavish upon their population, or alternatively, can be used to fund extensive repressive police and intelligence apparatuses to keep the population in check, as was the case in Saddam-era Iraq.

But there was also plenty of converse evidence, specifically states on the periphery of the Islamic world which did not conform the region’s reputation for corruption. Most notably, we had the examples of Turkey and of Malaysia.

Read more on Al Arabiya 

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Malaysia's Najib unmoved after U.S. lawsuits linked to 1MDB scandal 

1MDB: Malaysia 'will co-operate' with US investigation

The office of Prime Minister Najib Razak has said Malaysia will "fully co-operate" with any lawful investigation into scandal-hit state fund 1MDB.

US authorities moved on Tuesday to seize more than $1bn (£761m) in assets from the fund set up by Mr Najib to transform Malaysia into a banking hub.

Mr Najib is not named directly in the papers but "Malaysia official 1" is identifiable as someone whose account allegedly received funds.

He has always denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Najib was officially cleared of criminality by the country's attorney general earlier this year.

 The court papers, filed in Los Angeles, allege that misappropriated 1MDB money was laundered through accounts in the US.

The US justice department alleges the money financed lavish lifestyles of "multiple individuals including public officials".

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told reporters in Washington: "The Malaysian people were defrauded on an enormous scale."

If successful, the US justice department intends to seize assets including property in the US, UK and Switzerland.

There is no allegation that Mr Najib spent any of the money but people close to him are accused of using billions of dollars to buy jewellery, art and luxury properties; pay gambling expenses; and hire musicians and celebrities to attend parties.

Read more on BBC

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U.S. Maps 1MDB Fraud Trail From Kuala Lumpur to Hollywood

Najib Razak 1MDB Corruption Scandal - US Investigating Goldman Sachs

How Malaysia's 1MDB Fund Scandal Reaches Around the World 


 

U.S. Maps 1MDB Fraud Trail From Kuala Lumpur to Hollywood

More than $3.5 billion traveled a trail of fraud from Malaysia through a web of shell companies, with some fueling a spending binge on Monet paintings and luxury real estate and at least $700 million flowing back into accounts controlled by Malaysia’s prime minister.

Some of the money was handled by international banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Standard Chartered Plc and Deutsche Bank AG. A chunk of it funded a Hollywood blockbuster, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” More than $13 million of it was wired to an account at a Las Vegas casino by a stepson of Malaysia’s prime minister who gambled with an unidentified actor whose description matches that of Leonardo DiCaprio.

 It’s all laid out in a dozen filings Wednesday by U.S. prosecutors who detailed an alleged scheme of international money laundering and misappropriation stretching from 2009 to 2015. The Justice Department is seeking to seize more than $1 billion worth of assets it says went through U.S. banks from Malaysian development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, known as 1MDB, and was ultimately used to illegally acquire assets.

The U.S. complaints lays the groundwork for tension with Malaysia, a longtime ally on issues including counterterrorism and trade. Prosecutors refer to a top Malaysian official who controlled accounts that received hundreds of millions of dollars. The official isn’t accused of wrongdoing.

The anonymous description lines up with that of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who until a few months ago served as the chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board.

Read more on Bloomberg

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Najib Razak 1MDB Corruption Scandal - US Investigating Goldman Sachs

Mahathir Mohamad on corruption and 'saving Malaysia'

We challenge Malaysia's former prime minister, and also debate Ethiopia's treatment of the Oromo people.

In this week's UpFront, we speak to Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's former leader, about his call for Prime Minister Najib Razak to resign.

In the Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan examines why drone strikes are ineffective. And in the Arena, we debate Ethiopia's treatment of the Oromo people with the Ethiopian communications minister and an Oromo Democratic Front (ODF) executive committee member.

Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, wants to "save Malaysia" and oust the country's current PM Najib Razak over claims that he mismanaged the economy, suppressed free speech and allegedly took hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes, all accusations the PM denies.

The "Save Malaysia" movement, led by Mahathir and made up of opposition leaders from across the political spectrum, is centred on a multimillion-dollar corruption scandal that alleges nearly $700m found in Najib's personal bank accounts came from the state-funded 1Malaysia development fund. Najib, however, says the money was a campaign donation from Saudi Arabia and has since been returned.

Mahathir, who served as the country's prime minister for 22 years, says that Najib must "go" and that his "leadership undermines" Malaysia's institutions. In this week's Headliner, Mehdi Hasan challenges Mahathir on his campaign to oust the current prime minister.

Read more on Aljazeera

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1MDB BOMBSHELL - Second Jho Low Company Paid Hundreds of Millions To Both Najib Razak AND Khadem Al Qubaisi - EXCLUSIVE!

 

Swiss widen corruption investigation into Malaysia's 1MDB fund

Switzerland has widened its corruption probe into a Malaysian state-owned fund linked to prime minister Najib Razak, with two new suspects indicted over an alleged phony bond deal.
The Swiss attorney general’s office (OAG) said the new suspects – who are accused of fraud, bribery and other offences – are officials from the United Arab Emirates who were in charge of sovereign funds based in Abu Dhabi.

In a statement, the OAG said it had evidence that the management of the 1MDB fund violated Swiss embezzlement laws through a fraudulent bond agreement with the UAE officials, with money routed through Swiss banks.

Allegations that billions were looted from 1MDB in a vast campaign of fraud have shaken Najib’s government.

The scandal intensified last week when a Malaysian parliamentary committee clearly suggested misconduct had occurred, in the first condemnation from an official body in Kuala Lumpur.

Switzerland opened its own criminal probe into 1MDB last August, targeting two former Malaysian officials “and persons unknown” on suspicion of bribery, money laundering and other offences.
The OAG has said that up to $4bn of public funds in Malaysia may have been misappropriated, with a portion of the money transferred to Swiss accounts controlled by former Malaysian officials and people based in the UAE.

Concerning the latest allegations, Swiss authorities are scrutinising bonds issued by 1MDB subsidiaries officially intended to finance electric power plant projects in Malaysia.

Read more on The Guardian

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1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia

 

How Malaysia's 1MDB Fund Scandal Reaches Around the World

State investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, has been making headlines in Malaysia and around the world in the past year, mainly for the wrong reasons. There are probes reported in at least ten countries related to 1MDB, or on companies and individuals linked to it.

Investigations surrounding 1MDB center on alleged financial irregularities and possible money laundering. Both 1MDB and Prime Minister Najib Razak have consistently denied wrongdoing, and the fund continues to state that no foreign legal authorities have contacted them on any of these investigations. Here's a snapshot of the various probes.

Read more on Bloomberg

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1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia

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Malaysia: directors of scandal-hit 1MDB state investment fund offer mass resignation

Parliamentary inquiry finds extensive mismanagement but does not mention PM Najib Razak, who was behind creation of debt-laden fund.

The heavily indebted Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB has said its entire board of directors has offered to resign, after a parliamentary inquiry found extensive mismanagement and called for a police investigation into the fund’s former head.

In a report submitted in parliament on Thursday, the public accounts committee said it found 1MDB’s financial performance “unsatisfactory”. The fund’s debts ballooned from 5bn ringgit (£906m) in 2009 to 50bn ringgit this January.

It said 1MDB’s business model depended heavily on debt, mainly bank loans and bonds, part of which are guaranteed by the government. Such heavy reliance on debts for working capital should never have been allowed, the report said.

The report did not mention the prime minister, Najib Razak, who was behind the creation of 1MBD in 2009 and has been battling allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars was channeled from the fund into his personal bank accounts.

More on TheGuardian

How Malaysia's 1MDB Fund Scandal Reaches Around the World

1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia

Opponents of Malaysian PM join hands to oust him

Leaders from across Malaysia's political spectrum and hundreds of their supporters led by former longtime Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have rallied in Kuala Lumpur, calling for the removal of the current prime minister over a $700m corruption scandal.

Opponents of Najib Razak said on Sunday that they planned to petition the country's Islamic royalty seeking the removal of the scandal-plagued prime minister, who has been mired into graft allegations to the tune of $700m.

"(Najib's) leadership undermines the very existence of our institutions," said 90-year-old Mahathir, who dominated Malaysia as prime minister for 22 years before retiring in 2003.

"We want the rule of law, and the actions of Najib have destroyed it. He no longer deserves to be the prime minister," Mahathir said at the gathering attended by leaders from the ruling party, opposition and civil society.

The highly unusual grouping of heavyweights from both from the ruling party and the opposition groups was formed in early March, when it issued a call to "save" Malaysia from disaster by removing Najib.

Former deputy prime minister Muhyddin Yassin and Democratic Action Party senior leader Lim Kit Siang were to speak at the gathering as well, the DPA news agency reported.

Jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has endorsed the movement, despite a history of conflict with Mahathir.

Najib has been under pressure to resign since July, after the Wall Street Journal newspaper suggested that nearly $700m in his bank accounts came from the state-funded 1Malaysia development fund.

More news on Aljazeera

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Malaysia 1MDB scandal: Singapore seizes bank accounts

The authorities in Singapore say they have seized a large number of bank accounts as part of an investigation into possible money-laundering linked to a fund owned by the Malaysian state.

The fund is called 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

It was established in 2009 to pay for major new economic and social developments in Malaysia.
Singapore said it would not tolerate being used as a refuge for illicit funds.

In a joint statement by its central bank and the police's anti-fraud agency it said: "In connection with these investigations, we have sought and are continuing to seek information from several financial institutions, are interviewing various individuals, and have seized a large number of bank accounts.

"Singapore is also cooperating closely with relevant authorities, including those in Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States."

Last year, officials in Singapore froze two bank accounts as part of its investigation.

The announcement follows news that around $4bn (£2.8bn), earmarked for investment in economic and social development projects in Malaysia, may have been misappropriated from state-owned companies.

Read more on BBC

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NAJIB HAS DELIBERATELY 'RACIALIZED' 1MDB SCANDAL - REPORT 

1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia

It stems from Prime Minister Najib Razak's strategic state fund called 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) set up in 2009 when he came into office. The fund is meant to turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub.

It started to attract national attention in early 2015 when it missed payments for the $11bn (£7.1bn; €9.9bn) it owed to banks and bondholders.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said the fund has taken on too much debt and lacks transparency. He has also criticised Mr Najib's family's "lavish" lifestyle, which has been regularly discussed in the local press.

Then the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported it had seen a paper trail that allegedly traces close to $700m from the troubled fund to Mr Najib's personal bank accounts.

Read more on BBC News

NEW 1MDB BOMBSHELL - Second Jho Low Company Paid Hundreds of Millions To Both Najib Razak AND Khadem Al Qubaisi - EXCLUSIVE!

Sarawak Report can reveal that a second Jho Low company, Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners Limited, has paid hundreds of millions of dollars into the personal accounts of both the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak and also the ex-Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Aabar fund, Khadem al Qubaisi.

Aabar, a subsidiary of the IPIC sovereign wealth fund, has been enmeshed in a series of highly questionable and loss making deals with the scandal-torn Malaysian development fund 1MDB, which is directly controlled by Razak, using Jho Low as his proxy.

A Sarawak Report investigation has established that Blackstone, a BVI registered company which gives an address in Singapore, has been cited as the sender of a series of enormous dollar currency payments to both men between 2011 and 2012.  Our information includes telegraphic transfer documents passed through the American banking system.

The off-shore company uses a tactic familiar to watchers of Jho Low, in that it apparently seeks to give the impression that it is associated with the US global investment giant, the Blackstone Group. However, there is no link whatsoever between the legitimate multi-national and this secretive shell company.

More on Sarawak Report

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 1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia