FBI has nothing to pin on Najib
The most obvious to us who have been lectured to by Americans about the rule of law, democracy and natural justice at every turn has been the total absence of communication with 1MDB, the subject of the complaints or allegations that have triggered the FBI investigation, and the attendant hype, upheaval and excitement.
Tunku Aziz, Malaysia Outlook
No prize for guessing the man behind it all
The filing of civil forfeiture complaints by the United States Department of Justice for the recovery of assets in excess of US$ 1 billion that they believed to have been acquired by persons who had plundered 1MDB, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, sits uneasily with many fair-minded, thinking Malaysians.
The announcement was made by US Attorney-General Lynch in the company of at least four top officials from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service.
The press conference was intended as a display of power and might of the incomparable American justice system which we know from long years of careful observation to be not what they want us to believe.
In the current investigation of the 1MDB related case, we are treated to a demonstration of very rough and ready justice that America is still capable of dispensing.
The frontier tradition is still alive and well under the thin veneer of 21st century USA. There are several features of this filing that intrigue me.
The most obvious to us who have been lectured to by Americans about the rule of law, democracy and natural justice at every turn has been the total absence of communication with 1MDB, the subject of the complaints or allegations that have triggered the FBI investigation, and the attendant hype, upheaval and excitement.
How anyone could conduct a thorough and professional investigation without seeking and obtaining information from primary sources such as 1MDB officials and other relevant authorities, including Malaysian law officers, is something we should all learn from Attorney-General Lynch and his talented and dedicated officers.
It is a modern day wonder.
Given that corruption is a serious crime against the state and society, and assuming in good faith that they have irrefutable evidence that can stand up in their law courts, why have they not pursued the matter under criminal law?
Filing the complaints under civil law would seem a little odd. Surely, they are keen on securing a conviction and sending the wrong doers to jail.
