Malaysia ex-premier faces anti-graft body
SHUKRI, A RETIRED ANTICORRUPTION FIGURE WHO MAHATIR BROUGHT BACK, SHED TEARS WHILE SPEAKING OF TREMENDOUS PRESSURE UNDER THE PREVIOUS REGIME.
PUTRAJAYA: Former Malaysian premier Najib Razak was questioned by anti-corruption authorities on Tuesday over a financial scandal after his shock election loss, as the country’s top graft fighter revealed he faced harassment and threats during an earlier probe of the controversy.
Najib’s coalition suffered a defeat at the May 9 poll, beaten by a reformist alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad, which broke their six-decade stranglehold on power.
Mahathir, who first served as premier from 1981-2003 and came out of retirement aged 92 to take on Najib, campaigned on claims that the former leader and his cronies looted sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund in a sophisticated fraud, and used to buy everything from artworks to high-end real estate.
Najib and his reviled, luxuryloving wife Rosmah Mansor have had a swift fall from grace. They have been barred from leaving the country, and police have seized handbags, jewels and cash during raids on properties linked to the couple.
The ousted leader arrived at the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, walking through a scrum of about 100 journalists.
Najib was summoned by the MACC to give a statement over claims millions of dollars from SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, ended up in his personal bank accounts.
It is just one small part in the graft scandal, which is being investigated in several countries.
The new MACC chief, Shukri Abdull, said he faced harassment in the past which reached a “very frightening” level. “Our witnesses were abducted. Some of them were questioned by others as to what they revealed to us,” he said. “I was asked to retire early.” He said friends informed him that he could be arrested, prompting him to head to the US.