Now FBI Opens Money-Laundering Investigation On 1MDB: Here Are The Facts So Far

IGP: Don't trust media reports on FBI's alleged probe on 1MDB and Najib

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar

20 SEPT: Shortly after police officers from Bukit Aman arrested former UMNO leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan, WSJ reports that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated an investigation into allegations of money-laundering linked to the debt-ridden 1MDB

Citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said the FBI's probe is the latest in a series of international investigations centred on the 1MDB scandal. It, however, said that the scope of the investigation wasn't known.

Although contrary to the claims made by Khairuddin's lawyer Matthias Chang that the former UMNO leader was scheduled to travel to New York to meet with an FBI agent to urge the U.S. authorities to investigate PM Najib's involvement in the 1MDB, a spokeswoman for the FBI's New York office told WSJ that no agent in the office had arranged to speak with Khairuddin or had any previous contact with him.

1MDB was set up by Najib to invest in Malaysia's economy

Image via FAZRY ISMAIL/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

We know the Switzerland's Office of Attorney-General has opened a criminal proceedings against two unidentified executives of 1MDB and has also frozen tens of millions of dollars in Swiss banks.

After which, on 15 September, Switzerland's Federal Prosecutor said his Malaysian counterpart, Apandi Ali, has agreed to arrange for Swiss investigators to interview witnesses in their investigation.

Swiss Attorney-General Michael Lauber met Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.

Image via TMI

Meanwhile, commenting on the series of ongoing investigations by foreign countries into alleged money-laundering activities linked to 1MDB, the longest-serving PM of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir, said it could lead to PM Najib being arrested abroad if any wrongdoing is proven

You can watch Dr Mahathir's full speech here:

Earlier on 12 September, Malaysian Bar President Steven Thiru, during the passing of a resolution on the 1MDB scandal by the Bar at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in KL had said that PM Najib may face a lawsuit for abuse of power in the 1MDB probe