Najib: My personal bank account frozen
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday slammed the freezing of his personal and family members’ bank accounts.
“My personal bank account, which I have maintained for years, was frozen last week.
“This bank account had no other transactions, as it was used to receive salaries as a member of parliament and pension as Pahang menteri besar,” said Najib.
“I realised my account was frozen only when my cheque issued for the payment of my daughter’s medical treatment bounced.”
He was believed to be referring to his el- dest daughter Puteri
Norlisa’s chemotherapy treat- ment for cancer.
“The undue conduct of the agency and the timing of the freeze are uncalled for. I am dismayed at the conduct, the timing and exercise of such draconian actions by the government.”
Najib questioned why his personal liberty was circumvented when the court had granted him bail, and he had complied with the bail conditions. He said the authorities needed to realise that he was a citizen as well.
“As the head of my household, I, too, have bills to pay, medical bills to attend to and a household to run. The authorities freezing my bank account has caused me hardship and difficulties. Like any other citizen, I deserve to be given access to my personal freedom until my trial is complete.
“I am pleading to all to stick to the rules of a fair investigation. If we do not respect the rule of law, rules of natural justice and the Federal Constitution, we would become a failed state.”
He criticised the freezing of his children’s and grandchildren’s accounts without notice after the first instalment of his bail was posted last Wednesday.
“Why should my children be subjected to such treatments when they are not a party to any transactions and have never received any contracts or done business with the government?”
However, yesterday morning, Najib said he was informed that his children’s accounts had been unfrozen, leading him to claim that this proved the initial order to freeze their accounts was without basis.