A-G: DoJ ACTION ON 1MDB IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
KOTA BARU: The United States Department of Justice’s (DoJ) suit to seize assets allegedly linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) is politically motivated, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said yesterday.
Apandi said DoJ did not ask for any statement or official information from the attorney-general’s office on the allegations it made against 1MDB.
“If they had asked (for information related to 1MDB), it is our responsibility to extend our assistance.
“So, my conclusion is the action they took was politically motivated.”
“DoJ appears to have acted based on information given by certain quarters from Malaysia,” he said at the Tok Awang Gagah Family Day and Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering in Salor here yesterday.
DoJ is seeking to recover US$540 million (RM2.3 billion) in assets from 1MDB in the civil action.
These include artwork, jewellery and film rights that it alleged were bought with misappropriated funds.
In July last year, DoJ had led a civil suit seeking the forfeiture and recovery of more than US$1 billion in assets linked to what it described as an “international conspiracy to launder funds misappropriated” from 1MDB, the largest case ever brought by the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.
Apandi had criticised DoJ over the latest round of suits, and expressed frustration that he had not been informed prior to their announcement.
The latest DoJ move has garnered response from quarters, including Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who, in an open letter recently, said history had taught Malaysia that it would lose out from meddling by foreign powers.
Apandi agreed with what Hadi had said, saying: “Hadi’s remarks are absolutely right, and he was referring to DoJ, which has interfered in our country’s domestic affairs.”