AG told us special taskforce on 1MDB no longer needed: MACC

KUALA LUMPUR — The special taskforce that was probing the state-owned firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is no longer needed, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said today (Aug 5).

The commission said this was communicated to it by Mr Mohamed Apandi Ali, the government’s newly-appointed Attorney-General, prior to the press statement it sent on Monday on the RM2.6 billion (S$926.9 million) in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s accounts.

It explained that the statement, which confirmed that the funds had come from donors and not 1MDB as previously suspected, was issued without the endorsement of the taskforce’s other members — the Royal Malaysian Police and Bank Negara Malaysia — on Mr Mohamed Apandi’s advice.

“On questions why MACC issued a press statement on August 3, 2015 without the involvement of the Royal Malaysia Police and Bank Negara Malaysia, (we) wish to explain that MACC made the announcement without going through the Special Taskforce after being advised by the Attorney-General of Malaysia, that there is no longer a need for the Special Taskforce.

“Instead, the investigating agencies involved can carry out their duties according to their respective laws,” the anti-graft commission said in a lengthy statement today.

It said that the agencies in the special taskforce had their own internal investigation teams and will now submit their respective findings to the Attorney-General for the latter to decide on whether prosecution would be initiated.

The MACC clarified again today that it was not probing 1MDB, but was merely probing two separate matters — a RM2.6 billion “donation” into the prime minister’s account and a RM4 billion fund related to the former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd. MALAY MAIL ONLINE