FMR. MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB ARRESTED

Najib was arrested by a special task force at his home in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and will be charged in the city’s high court today (4), MACC said in a statement.

Last week police said they had seized $225 million in luxury handbags, jewellery, cash and goods from six properties linked to the former leader. The goods were seized as part of the investigation into the sprawling scandal related to 1MDB, a state investment vehicle from which Najib was accused of siphoning off billions of dollars.

A spokesman for Najib described the arrest as “politically motivated” and “the result of political vengeance” by the Malaysian leadership under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, elected in May.

Najib “will contest these charges and clear his name in court,” the spokesman said in a statement. In a video posted to Twitter Tuesday evening, the former leader dismissed the accusations as “rumors, hearsay and slander” and denied any wrongdoing.

He also apologized to the Malaysian people, saying,“i have tried my best but I realize that it is not enough... Yes I am not perfect. I’m just a normal person. But believe me, all these accusations made against me and my family are not true.”

Najib’s daughter, Yana Najib, defended her father in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “No one is as kind, loving and gentle as this man,” she wrote, posting a picture of her father with the hashtag #freenajib.

Following news of the arrest, around 50 supporters of Najib gathered outside the MACC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Najib’s stepson, Riza Aziz, was later seen arriving to give a statement.

Najib, whose government was plagued by scandal, was soundly defeated in the parliamentary elections held in May.veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad came out of retirement to lead a coalition that challenged and defeated the incredibly unpopular Najib. (CNN)