Najib may be charged soon
Published on: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Kuala Lumpur: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could be charged soon, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.Dr Mahathir said he was confident that prosecutors will be able to build up a strong case to bring charges against the former leader over graft claims linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)."We are slowly getting to the bottom of things and many of our senior officers are volunteering information accompanied, of course, by documents.
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"We think that within a short while we will have a case against him, we will be able to charge him," he said via video conference to The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Meeting in Tokyo.Dr Mahathir added that he was facing the problem of "trying to trust people to investigate him"."Some of these people who were with him had sided with him and we do not know who is going to be loyal to this new government," he said.When asked if he might be willing to cut a deal to spare Najib, if he were to offer information that can recover part of the US$4.5bil (RM18.19bil) allegedly lost by 1MDB, Dr Mahathir would only say: "No deal".
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Dr Mahathir had personally ordered travel restrictions on Najib last Saturday (May 12) after news spread that the latter was about to fly off to Jakarta for a short break.He also told the conference that he will remain as Prime Minister for one or two years – and would continue to play a role in the background even after he steps down.
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Meanwhile, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has been added to the list of those banned from travelling abroad.Others to be included in the list are Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad.Apandi had been told to go on holiday after he was accused of hiding evidence related to the 1MDB scandal. He has however denied the allegation.The Attorney-General began a 30-day unrecorded leave.Irwan – who is also 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chairperson was a key witness in the Public Accounts Committee's investigations into the company.He was transferred out of the Ministry of Finance on Monday.Dzulkifli was appointed MACC chief commissioner on a temporary transfer from Oct 1, 2016, to July 31, 2021.However, he handed in his resignation letter on Monday and reported for duty at the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC).His current post at the AGC remains unknown.The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) audit report is now officially declassified.Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad announced that the report has been reclassified as an open document."I refer to the 1MDB audit report which was classified as secret on Jan 22, 2016 and was presented to the Public Accounts Committee on March 4, 2016.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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