MACC Chief Says PDRM Investigating 1MDB, But Didn't They Already Complete It In April?
MACC chief Dzulkifli was asked following the latest filings by the US DOJ.
By Sadho Ram — 18 Jun 2017, 06:46 PM
Last week, on Thursday, the US Department of Justice in their civil lawsuit against 1MDB dropped latest revelations, saying how they are seeking to seize a total of about USD1.7 billion in assets that were bought with misappropriated money from the 1MDB fund
Following the DOJ's latest filings in their civil lawsuit, Putrajaya and its machinery has gone overboard, claiming the DoJ civil suit against 1MDB is triggered by complaints by individuals with a "heinous political agenda" against Najib and the Government.
"My suspicion is..these complainants are actually Malaysians with heinous political agenda against the PM and the government." #DOJ #1MDB pic.twitter.com/FGatfwHHYt
— Sumisha Naidu (@SumishaCNA) June 18, 2017
Among the revelations made, the DOJ claimed that the wife of 'Malaysian Official 1' was gifted with a 22-carat pink diamond pendant and necklace which was bought using USD27.3m of the USD620m which MO1 had purportedly returned to his "donor"
In addition to that, businessman Jho Low had purchased 27 different 18-carat gold necklaces and bracelets for MO1's wife, worth a total of USD1.3 million.
According to the lawsuits, the jewellery for "MO1's wife" was bought with funds that passed through Prime Minister Najib Razak's bank account.
There is no doubt about who this "MO1" is.
As Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan had already confirmed last year, that the MO1 mentioned in the DOJ's first suit is actually PM Najib.
Reacting to the DOJ's claims and subsequent media reports, the prime minister's wife instructed her lawyers to closely monitor social media and other publications for "false allegations" against her. She has also threatened immediate legal action against slanderers.
Yesterday, Rosmah's lawyers released a statement, saying, "Recently more malicious and baseless attacks have surfaced against Rosmah Mansor on blogs and social media.
"These attacks are false allegations made without any proof or basis, done with malice with the sole intent of putting Rosmah in disrepute, casting aspersions of alleged wrongdoings and causing harm and injury to her reputation," the statement said.
However, when MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad was asked whether they would initiate investigations on 1MDB amid the fresh revelations linked to the troubled firm by the DoJ, Dzulkifli seemed to pass the buck, saying it was under the jurisdiction of PDRM
The MACC chief claimed that they will not initiate its investigation on 1MDB because the police are already investigating the state investment firm.
"The 1MDB investigation is still ongoing, we have to give the police time to probe. 1MDB has nothing to do with us (MACC). It was decided before that police will investigate 1MDB.
"We don't want there to be overlap, two agencies investigating the same matter," Dzulkifli was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini, yesterday.
When probed further whether the MACC — which it should be noted is under the Prime Minister's Department — would look seriously into the claims by the DoJ, Dzulkifli again skirted around the matter
"We have to be patient and give time for the police to conduct its investigations on issues involving 1MDB," he was quoted saying by theSundaily.
He also shifted the blame on DoJ, saying MACC was not alerted by the DoJ on its recent civil action, just like how the DoJ failed to inform Malaysia's authorities before.
The thing about Dzulkifli's claims that PDRM is investigating 1MDB, though, is that it directly contradicts IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar
Back in April this year, IGP Khalid had said that police investigation into 1MDB had been completed and submitted to the Attorney-General's Chamber (AGC).
"(We completed the investigation) some time ago," IGP Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted saying so on 12 April 2017, according to this Malaysiakini report.
What's going on?
Well, it appears to be the case of not owning to what's actually going on in the matters related to Malaysia's investigations into 1MDB either by MACC or PDRM.
If it's something else, then it is unclear if the investigations have been reopened.
On the other hand, IGP Khalid, on 14 June, told reporters in KL that the police were still waiting for a response from the AGC.
Additionally, when Khalid Abu Bakar was asked whether police would investigate the DoJ's latest civil forfeiture suits, the IGP said:
"If it is a civil case, police would not interfere. No (cooperating with the FBI) in civil matters," Malaysiakini quoted him saying to a press conference in Bukit Aman.