Police Seize Handbags And Clothes In Late Night Raid At Najib's Home
It is believed that the search was for evidence linked to the 1MDB scandal.
By Tamara Jayne — 17 May 2018, 12:53 PM
A special police team investigating the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal "raided" former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's home last night, 16 May
Najib had arrived home after performing terawih prayers at the Kampung Baru mosque at 9.53pm, shortly before the police team arrived, Bernama reported.
It is uncertain where Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was at the time as she was not seen entering or leaving their home at Jalan Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur.
Police continued to search the house for more than six hours well into Thursday morning. At 3.50am, a Black Maria vehicle was seen showing up at the residence and officers loaded several boxes into it, according to Malaysiakini.
Najib's lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal later told reporters, who were waiting outside, that the raid had taken several hours because the police were checking every room in the large bungalow
He believes Najib is being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
"It is a big house and they had to check every room and that's why it took so long," he said, adding that, "No documents were taken, nothing of note, only personal possessions including bags," said Harpal, according to The Star.
The whole search was said to have ended close to 5am, although several police cars were found to be in the area at about 8am this morning.
Chief of the police commercial crimes unit Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh confirmed that five other locations belonging to Najib were also being investigated
He added that they were considered "searches" and not raids, according to The Star.
The other locations also searched are believed to be Najib's house in Taman Duta, Sri Perdana, two places at Pavillion KL, and the Prime Minister's Office.
Documents linked to the 1MDB scandal were believed to have been seized from Najib's apartment at the Pavillion residences in KL, reported the Star.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad spoke about the 1MDB investigation.
"We are slowly getting to the bottom of things, and many of our senior officers are volunteering information accompanied, of course, by documents... We think that within a short while, we will have a case against him, we will be able to charge him," he said, according to The Straits Times.