Nazir orders internal CIMB inquiry into Badlisyah’s incorrect analysis

(The Star) – I would also like to acknowledge that I had made an error in my post with regard to my analysis of the various Swift codes.

Following a Facebook post claiming banking documents released by the Wall Street Journal relating to the 1MDB money trail were fake, CIMB Islamic Bank CEO Badlisyah Abdul Ghani will now be facing an internal inquiry, said Datuk Seri Nazir Razak.

In an Instagram post late Wednesday, the CIMB group chairman apologised and said that Baldlisyah should not have commented on the documents as it was a technical matter.

Nazir posted a photograph of CIMB group CEO Tengku Datuk Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and CIMB Islamic chairman Datuk Syed Muhamad Syed Abdul Kadir showing Badlisyah’s comments to former CIMB chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nor Yusof.

“Zafrul & Syed showing a surprised Md Nor the Facebook post by Badli (CEO CIMB Islamic) on WSJ article. Posts have been removed as it is a technical matter on which he should not be commenting. Our apologies, we will conduct an internal inquiry,” Nazir said.

Badlisyah (pic), who is also Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia president, had claimed in his original posting that banking documents released by the WSJ allegedly showing transactions of US$700mil (RM2.6bil) of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds into personal accounts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak were false.

He claimed, among other things, that the Swift code in the document did not match that of the originating New York-based Wells Fargo Bank.

However, later the same evening, Badlisyah released a press statement admitting he was wrong in his analysis of the documents and that the opinions expressed on his Facebook page were strictly his personal opinion.

“I would also like to acknowledge that I had made an error in my post with regard to my analysis of the various Swift codes.

“The mistakes were correctly pointed out by a report in Malaysiakini on the matter, and I have also made the correction on my Facebook page,” said Badlisyah in the statement.

Nazir, who is the brother of the Prime Minister, has been critical of 1MDB in the past, and has made numerous calls for transparency into the matter.