Cops will probe all linked to WSJ expose on 1MDB, IGP promises

(Malay Mail Online) – Inspector-general of police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today repeated his assurance that the police will carry out a comprehensive investigation on claims that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) had been misappropriated into the personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Khalid said the police will probe parties that were implicated in the expose by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which claimed that the funds were funnelled through several government agencies including 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“All who we should investigate, we will investigate, including from the private banks, Bank Negara and members of the special task force,” he said at a news conference, referring to the task force set up to probe the allegations raised jn WSJ’s report.

Khalid noted that they have also received a police report against fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin for posting content related to the case.

“We know he is not here… we will KIV [keep in view] investigations on him,” he said, without specifying what content the police report referred to.

Raja Petra is believed to no longer be in the country.

In a report last month, US-based daily WSJ, citing documents from Malaysian investigators currently scrutinising the troubled 1MDB’s financials, claimed that a money trail showed that US$700 million were moved among government agencies, banks and companies before it ended up in Najib’s accounts.

Najib has repeatedly denied taking funds from 1MDB or any other public entity for “personal gain” and his lawyers have since asked the WSJ to state if it is accusing the prime minister of misappropriating funds.

A special task force — comprising the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission — has since been set up to investigate the claims.

Last week, the task force said that two bank accounts held by Najib in AmBank were already closed long before an investigation was launched against the misappropriation.