Illegal funds: Anwar says he was cleared in 2009
The former deputy prime minister said that the investigating officer for the case on the illegal transfer of funds in 1998 had cleared him of any wrongdoings in 2009.
(FMT) – Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the investigation into claims that he had instructed a Bank Negara official to channel millions of ringgit into several accounts belonging to individuals and companies in the 90s.
“I have no problems if they want to probe me. In fact, I made the same challenge in 1999,” said Anwar in a press conference at the Parliament.
Also present were PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.
English daily New Straits Times (NST) today alleged that Anwar, in his then capacity as finance minister, had instructed then Bank Negara assistant governor Abdul Murad Khalid to manage the multi-million ringgit transactions.
Murad was reported to have also signed a statutory declaration (SD) in 1999 claiming Anwar had amassed RM3 billion during his tenure in the Cabinet.
Responding to the accusation, Anwar said he had already been cleared of any wrongdoings when the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director of investigation Abdul Razak Idris signed his SD claiming Anwar’s innocence in November 2009.
“Razak even met me at the Sungai Buloh prison during the course of the investigation and found no case against me,” said Anwar.
A check by FMT also found that Murad too had retracted his SD in 1999, claiming he was forced by the ACA to sign the form.
When asked if he would file a civil suit against NST, Anwar said he would consider it but insinuated that it would be futile exercise.
“Even now I have nearly 15 cases pending in the court for years. I’m now focused on the elections,” he said.
