KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has denied that his name is listed in the Pandora Papers, nor owns any offshore accounts.
He said his name came up because the law firm, Wong & Co, which was appointed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), was part of a group of well-known international firms involved in the Panama Papers.
“I did not appoint or have contact with anyone from Wong & Co.
“I also showed reporters that the court verified the appointment of Wong & Co was made by the board and management of Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA). This was before I was involved and TIA was taken over by the federal government when I was PM.
“The same goes for the appointments of Goldman Sachs, AmBank, KPMG and all the well-known firms that provided professional services.
“They were made by TIA and continued their services when TIA became 1MDB,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He added that many people just read the headlines and mistakenly perceived that he has an offshore bank account.
The Pandora Papers obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) exposed the financial secrets of 35 current and former world leaders, more than 330 politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories.
Malaysiakini reported that among Malaysians listed were former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Selayang MP William Leong. – The Vibes, October 7, 2021
