Return party funds since there is no action, says Najib

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants the police to return the hundred over million in cash seized as he insisted that it was largely Umno funds and no legal action has been taken in three months.

The former premier said most of the money was in ringgit while only a small portion of the cash was in foreign currencies.

It was reported that up to RM1.1bil worth of cash, jewellery, luxury handbags and watches, as well as sunglasses, were seized from residences and offices linked to Najib in the ongoing investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), making it the biggest seizure in Malaysian history.

Among the items seized were RM116mil in cash in 26 different denominations.

He said the police refused to return the cash despite it having already passed the threshold of three months and there was no prosecution involving the assets seized.

“Maybe many do not know but an Umno president is tasked with handling all party assets, including receiving political donations from businessmen, individuals, NGOs and from the corporate sector.

“He is also tasked with transferring and making payments for the party during elections.

“Such tasks and rights are enshrined in the party’s constitution and it has been so since the tenure of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (as president),” he said.

He also cited a video clip during the party’s supreme council meet- ing on Sept 6, 2015, of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin admitting he did not question the president’s special fund as it had always been managed by the president.

“Dr Mahathir even admitted openly that he handed over RM1.4bil in cash and shares to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when the latter took over the party’s presidency.

“While I have called for the need to introduce the Political Financing Act, it was rejected by Pakatan Harapan at that time, thus political donations are not against the country’s laws,” he said.

During the last general election, most of the donations from businessmen and individuals were in cash and it was distributed to all 222 parliamentary and 505 state constituencies, he added.

“When Dr Mahathir built the Prime Minister’s Office and Seri Perdana, he also ensured that a vault and a safe were built at the respective locations,” he said.

After Barisan Nasional unexpectedly lost in the GE14, the cash was gathered and temporarily transferred to Pavillion Apartments in Kuala Lumpur, he added.

“I was also informed recently that a few officers stole RM3.5mil when transferring the cash and they were detained by the MACC ( Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission).

“The police raided the apartment and seized the money even before we could make a decision on how to manage the cash while waiting for who will take over as the new party president,” he said.

The former Umno president said Dr Mahathir knew about the existence of the funds stored at the Prime Minister’s Office during the elections as he did the same while he was the prime minister.

“The police also knew about the cash at Pavillion as the transfer of the funds from the Prime Minister’s Office was not a secret.

“I affirm again that it is party funds, thus Umno has sought legal representatives to negotiate with the authorities to return the money.

“Such huge sums of cash were never stored at the Pavillion residences or at my home before the elections and the sum stored at the Prime Minister’s Office was never to such an extent during non-election periods,” he said.

Besides Pavillion residences, the police also raided both Najib’s children and his own home in Jalan Duta, he added. Najib said he would explain the seized jewellery and handbags later.