Malaysian prime minister ready to cooperate in investigation of misappropriated funds

Najib Razak ready to "cooperate across the board" on investigations related to the controversial 1MDB fund. US authorities have seized assets for a billion dollars. A case that has "cheated" population Malaysian on a "large scale". The stolen money also used to finance the film The Wolf of Wall Street. Saudi Arabian influence in elections.


Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Prime Minister Najib Razak says that Malaysia is ready to "cooperate across the board" in the investigation into the 1MDB state fund, from which the chief executive is accused of embezzling 681 million dollars. According to the US authorities, who have launched an investigation and seized assets for a billion dollars, the Malaysian population have been "cheated".

The file does not make a direct reference to the Prime Minister, but the name "Malaysia official 1" refers to the person who has benefited - illegally - from the funds.

A July 2015 survey by the Wall Street Journal revealed millions of dollars deposited in a private account attributable to the Prime Minister. The anti-corruption Commission of Malaysia (Macc) had already connected the 681 million to an unknown personality of the Middle East. At the time, a Saudi source had stated that the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia to influence the 2013 elections and facilitate a Najib victory, as the candidate of the party United Malays National Organisation (Umno, which has governed Malaysia since independence in 1957).

At the beginning of the year Najib - who denies any wrongdoing - was cleared of all charges of criminal law.

So far there has been no evidence of a private use of the money by the Prime Minister.  However, people close to him are thought to have spent billions of dollars to purchase jewelry and luxury goods, gambled and contracted musicians and artists for private parties.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that "the Malaysian people are victims of large scale fraud". In addition to the recycling of dirty money and the purchase of luxury goods, money was also used to finance the production of the film "The Wolf of Wall Street".

Asked about the matter, a spokesman for Prime Minister Najib stressed that the government "will work across the board with any criminal investigation against Malaysian companies or individuals, in accordance with international protocols." As the Prime Minister has always declared, the spokesman added, "if there is evidence of criminal offense, the law will be applied without exception."

According to the investigation launched in Los Angeles (California) money belonging  1MDB was laundered through bank accounts based in the US and involved high ranking "public servants". The US Justice Department is ready to seize property, including real estate properties located between the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Singapore has frozen more than $ 175 million in assets linked to the controversial fund.