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Former Malaysian law minister seeks judicial review of PM Najib probe decision

KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian law minister Zaid Ibrahim on Tuesday (Feb 2) said he would seek a High Court judicial review to set aside the decision by Attorney-General (AG) Apandi Ali not to prosecute Prime Minister Najib Razak in a graft investigation.

KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian law minister Zaid Ibrahim on Tuesday (Feb 2) said he would seek a High Court judicial review to set aside the decision by Attorney-General (AG) Apandi Ali not to prosecute Prime Minister Najib Razak in a graft investigation.

The AG cleared Mr Najib of any criminal offences or corruption on Jan 26, and said he was closing investigations into a murky multi-million-dollar funding scandal that his opponents had hoped would bring him down.

Mr Najib has been buffeted by allegations of graft and mismanagement at the debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and by a revelation that about US$681 million was deposited into his personal bank account.

Mr Apandi said the US$681 million transfer to Najib’s account was a gift from Saudi Arabia’s royal family, and added that no further action needed to be taken on the matter.

Mr Zaid said based on reports so far, there is strong evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Mr Najib which indicate possible offences under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and the Financial Services Act 2013, which may also extend to Criminal Breach of Trust and other offences under the Penal Code.

Sacked UMNO grassroots leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan on Tuesday lodged a graft report against the AG for corruption.

Just a day before he cleared Mr Najib of criminal wrongdoing , Mr Mohd Apandi was appointed to the board of the pilgrim fund Tabung Haji, raising eyebrows over concerns of conflict of interest.

“You can’t fool all the people, all the time,” said Mr Khairuddin. “The AG’s decision is an unreasonable and improper exercise of discretion.

“Please stop making a fool of the people because the people are not stupid at all, enough is enough,” he added.

Mr Khairuddin was arrested and charged with economic sabotage after he lodged reports against 1MDB with authorities from UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore. “They may re-arrest me and charge me under the anti-terror act. That may happen,” said Mr Khairuddin.

While it is unclear whether Malaysia’s anti-graft body, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), will engage AG to persuade him to change his mind, the Swiss Attorney-General’s request for mutual assistance from their Malaysian counterparts has put pressure on other regulators to step up the probe on 1MDB, whose advisory board is chaired by Mr Najib.

Its CEO Arul Kanda has maintained that the company has never received any queries from foreign investigators and that none of its accounts have been frozen locally or overseas. Currently, a bi-partisan public accounts committee is still scrutinising the accounts of 1MDB for possible mismanagement, while the auditor-general report is expected to be out by March. CNA

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