KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied accusations of failure to detect, investigate and prosecute wrongdoings allegedly committed by Datuk Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
In a statement today, MACC said former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas had, in 2018, organised a coordinated effort with MACC and police to investigate Tawfiq.
“MACC focused on identifying and reclaiming funds related to the 1MDB case, including US$15.4 million tied to Cutting Edge Industries Ltd., owned by Tawfiq and Samuel Goh.
“Police, meanwhile, were ordered by the Attorney-General’s Office to focus on the criminal aspect of the case relating to the receipt of the funds into Tawfiq’s account in Singapore.”
This follows incriminating revelations made by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner regarding the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal in a US courtroom.
MACC said it had on November 19 last year confirmed the return of the funds while the police investigation is ongoing.
“The coordination between MACC and police is to avoid overlap in investigations pertaining to the collection of evidence and testimony of those involved, as well as to facilitate deals with Singapore, which gives priority to one enforcement agency conducting criminal investigations.
“As such, the issue of any enforcement agency failing to detect, investigate and prosecute any wrongdoing in such financial transactions as accused by some parties does not arise,” it said.
Leissner alleged that his former colleague Roger Ng, who is now on trial in the US, in 2009 told him that Tawfiq received a bribe so US$1 billion could be transferred to Malaysia for a joint venture.
Tawfiq has since denied receiving the bribe from the two former bankers.
On Tuesday, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun rejected requests to debate the recent revelations relating to 1MDB in the House, pushing it instead to Parliament’s special chamber.
Filed by opposition Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the motion called for a debate into the allegations put forth by Leissner in relation to the 1MDB scandal. – The Vibes, March 3, 2022
