Saudi Arabia says money sent to Malaysian PM was a ‘genuine donation’
Comments from Saudi foreign minister are first from the kingdom to match those of the Malaysian premier
(The Guardian) – Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that $681m (£479m) transferred into Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank account was a “genuine donation”.
Najib faced corruption allegations after the transfer was discovered last year. Fighting for his political life, the premier was cleared in January by the Malaysian attorney general, who said the cash was a gift from the royal family in Saudi Arabia.
Asked at the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul if he was aware of the details of the political donation, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said: “It is a genuine donation with nothing expected in return.
“And we are also fully aware that the attorney general of Malaysia has thoroughly investigated the matter and found no wrongdoing,” he added.
“So, as far as we are concerned, the matter is closed,” he said, without elaborating on who donated the money or why.
The Malaysian and Saudi governments had a bilateral meeting in Istanbul before the comments were made.
Malaysia says the money was donated in support of Najib’s fight against extremism.
