I know who leaked out bank details, claims NGO head
(The Rakyat Post) – A lawyer heading a new non-governmental organisation (NGO) has put forth a claim that he knows who were responsible for the details of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leaked Ambank banking accounts.
He is pointing his finger at a prominent banking tycoon who he alleged was a close comrade of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Citizens For Accountable Governance Malaysia (CAGM) chairman Md Zainal Abidin alleged that the tycoon allegedly owed his success to Dr Mahathir, but as both allegedly hurried to kick Najib out of his top leadership post, had apparently exposed a “strictly confidential and integral link that has played a pivotal role that helps Umno and BN remain in power”.
“Ambank has disbursed loans amounting to more than RM250 million to companies linked to Mirzan and Mokhzani Mahathir,” Md Zainal further claimed, referring to the sons of the former Prime Minister.
He alleged that the tycoon was also known to go horse-back riding with Dr Mahathir, and that he supposedly managed the former premier’s money in Malaysia and throughout the world.
When contacted, Md Zainal confirmed to The Rakyat Post that CAGM does own the documents to back up his claims but said that at the moment he couldn’t share it with the media or the public.
Meanwhile, Md Zainal claimed that millions of ringgit traced into Najib’s Ambank account were used to “back up” Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties during the last general election.
In a statement issued today, he claimed that the funds were channelled to Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan, among many other parties, as well as NGOs.
“An average of RM30 million to RM50 million were allocated to each component party while the others received anything between RM1 million and RM8 million each,” the statement alleged.
Md Zainal then went on to blame this on Dr Mahathir, saying that during the latter’s long term in power, he had put in place the “greasing system” which had ensured BN’s success in remaining as the nation’s ruling party.
He claimed that Najib, in continuing the culture set by Mahathir, was merely “paying to the system that was put in motion by Mahathir to ensure the results are in favour of BN”.
“The harder a victory in the elections appears to be, the more money it requires to secure a win and the 2013 general election was a very high-risk affair for BN after all.”
Md Zainal was referring to the money which, according to a July 2 report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), may have allegedly come partly from the state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Najib has denied the claim of pocketing public money for his personal gain and a Special Task Force was set up to investigate the matter.
This task force includes the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
