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Anti-graft investigators recommend charging former Malaysian PM Najib: Sources

KUALA LUMPUR — Investigators probing former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak for money laundering and misappropriation of property have recommended for him to be charged, in a recommendation made in an investigation paper they submitted to Malaysia's Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) several days ago, according to sources.

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak arriving to give a statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Putrajaya, Malaysia on May 24, 2018.

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak arriving to give a statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Putrajaya, Malaysia on May 24, 2018.

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KUALA LUMPUR — Investigators probing former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak for money laundering and misappropriation of property have recommended for him to be charged, in a recommendation made in an investigation paper they submitted to Malaysia's Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) several days ago, according to sources.

The highly placed sources told The New Sunday Times the recommendation was made as investigators from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) "have enough evidence" to "ensure the cases stick".

The sources said the case they had drawn up against Datuk Seri Najib was "as strong" as it was when the commission's investigators concluded and submitted the investigation paper on the case to the chambers in 2015.

"When MACC made the recommendation to charge back then, the then attorney-general (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) said there was no case. That decision, you have to ask him," the source told the NST.

The sources said the recommendation to charge in MACC's investigation paper did not include Mr Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

"It is up to the A-G now to decide whether to accept the recommendations to charge, tweak the charges or return the papers for further investigations."

The money-laundering charge is linked to the allegations that RM42 million (S$14.2 million) from the Retirement Fund had made its way into Mr Najib's personal bank accounts.

Mr Najib has consistently denied knowledge of any wrongdoing in this allegation.

Those convicted of money laundering could face a maximum sentence of 15 years' jail and a fine of no less than five times the value of the laundered proceeds.

New Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said on Tuesday that his office had received investigation papers on state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) from the MACC and was studying possible criminal and civil action.

Meanwhile, another set of sources said the AGC would convene a series of meetings from Monday (June 18) to go through the MACC's findings, as well as look into legal ways to record the statements of several key witnesses who had yet to come forward to help in the investigations.

The NST, quoting sources earlier this week, said the MACC was hoping to get hold of SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil Nik Othman Arif Kamil, and that it could make do without fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.

The commission had already recorded Mr Nik Faisal's statement in Indonesia in 2015, followed by that of SRC director Suboh Md Yassin, also in Indonesia.

The NST was made to understand that Datuk Suboh, who is under a witness protection programme, could be the star witness in the case.

Last week, the MACC also released pictures and details of four witnesses linked to the 1MDB investigations, including Mr Tan Kim Loong, whose last-known address was Taman Pusat Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia has also signed mutual legal assistance requests with Switzerland, the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, revealed that the government had already accumulated enough evidence to charge Mr Najib and Ms Rosmah.

He said investigations into the previous administration had uncovered shocking findings. THE NEW STRAITS TIMES

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