Special Task Force investigation relating to allegations of funds transmitted to the accounts of the Prime Minister

The Attorney General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, expressed strong concern at the leakage of documents pertaining to an ongoing criminal investigation and called for a full investigation into the matter. This concern is also endorsed by the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, and the Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

The Attorney General noted that the documents disclosed in the Wall Street Journal article, “Malaysia Orders Freeze of Accounts Tied to Probe of Alleged Transfers to Prime Minister Najib” dated 7 July 2015 were the subject-matter of an investigation and emphasized that it was crucial to preserve the integrity of the investigation as the public must not doubt the investigation.

The Attorney General stressed that this was not a question of whistle- blowing because the matter is already under investigation. A further concern was that the documents were allegedly leaked from within the
investigation itself. The Attorney General also clarified that the freeze orders issued on 6 July 2015 did not involve any accounts allegedly held by the Prime Minister.

The Attorney General also expressed his concern at the insinuations and allegations that have been made linking him to certain political agenda. He stressed that the whole purpose of establishing an inter-agency Special Task Force to investigate the matter was to ensure that there could be no abuse of the investigation mechanism.

The Attorney General emphasized that he would not hesitate to prosecute any person found to have leaked confidential investigation-related information as it is a criminal offence under section 133 of the Financial Services Act 2013 and section 145 of the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 respectively for any person who has access to any document or information relating to the affairs or account of any customer of a financial institution, including the financial institution or any person who is or has been a director, officer or agent of the financial institution, to disclose to another person any document or information relating to the affairs or account of any customer of the financial institution.

It is also a criminal offence under section 203A of the Penal Code for any person to disclose any information or matter which has been obtained by him in the performance of his duties or the exercise of his functions under any written law and for any person who has any information or matter which to his knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of the law to further disclose that information or matter to any other person.

TAN SRI ABDUL GANI PATAIL
Attorney General Malaysia