KUALA LUMPUR – The government and agencies investigating the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal have been kept in the dark over some of the fresh allegations made by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin claimed the US’ Department of Justice (DOJ) has withheld key information from Malaysia, which she said is critical in assisting investigations here.
“Many have disputed why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has not highlighted (the claims made by Leissner), and why the information was not exposed together with us.
“That is because only after Leissner made the exposé did the Malaysian government find out about it,” she said in Parliament’s special chamber today.
“All this while, the information was only in the hands of the DOJ and was not shared with our government.”
Mas Ermieyati said it has proven a hindrance for the government, and MACC in particular, to conduct probes into the matter, with many of the witnesses also based overseas, including Leissner, who is the star witness in the ongoing 1MDB trial in the US.
“In the investigation conducted by the DOJ, all the witnesses are in foreign countries. There are constraints, because the DOJ didn’t share statements regarding the case with MACC.
“I will see to it myself on how we can use the government-to-government method to at least obtain information and guidance, so that more parties will assist us in our probe.”
Why hasn’t Malaysia attempted to get vital information?
Mas Ermieyati was responding to questions raised by several opposition leaders, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Port Dickson-PH), Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH), Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja-PH), Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun-Pejuang) and Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai-PH) on the latest explosive revelations made by Leissner in the US.
Anwar, who filed the motion to debate the matter, had wanted to know what form of investigations and actions are being taken by authorities here to act on culprits involved in the 1MDB scandal, saying it appears that Malaysia lacks the will to properly unearth the truth.
Lim said MACC in particular has been slow to conduct its probe, and that all the details revealed by Leissner recently would not have been known to Malaysia if not for the trial in the US.
Fahmi also raised similar concerns and questioned how authorities here did not have the information in hand or attempted to secure them from the other relevant countries.
Leissner has made several startling revelations during the trial, among others, claiming that the husband of then Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz had received a bribe to allow billions to be transferred out of Malaysia overnight without any rigorous process by Bank Negara.
The disgraced former banker also testified that his ex-lover and former Astro chief executive officer Rohana Rozhan had blackmailed him into buying her a US$10 million home in London, after she threatened to expose his involvement with 1MDB.
Leissner also revealed bribes of at least US$100 million to top officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in order to grease the wheels in the financial scandal.
MACC focused on recovering 1MDB-linked assets abroad
Mas Ermieyati said, following Leissner's testimonies, MACC has taken immediate action to probe Rohana on February 24.
Her London home, as well as other assets, has since been frozen.
At the moment, the deputy minister said MACC’s focus is to recover assets that are linked to 1MDB, including those from New Zealand, Kuwait, Mauritius, Cyprus and Hong Kong.
On the probe involving Zeti’s husband, Datuk Tawfiq Ayman, Mas Ermieyati said the police had looked into the matter and an investigation paper (IP) had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) last year.
However, the IP was returned on December 21, as the AGC wanted further investigation conducted in Singapore.
“Since the vaccinated travel lane between Malaysia and Singapore has been closed up to now, action can only be taken after the lane is reopened,” she said.
Asked whether MACC will reopen its probe against Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently facing multiple corruption charges, the deputy minister said investigations into the former prime minister have never ceased. – The Vibes, March 1, 2022
