Police find former PM Najib's marriage certificate after cracking steel safe locked for 20 years

KUALA LUMPUR –  Malaysian police found the marriage certificate of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor after successfully breaking into an old steel safety box that had sparked Internet buzz since raids began at the residence of the ousted leader.

The safe at Mr Najib's private residence in Taman Duta, which was reportedly locked for two decades as the key had been lost, also contained a small amount of cash in foreign currencies. Police opened the safe on Friday with the help of locksmiths, who began drilling work at 8.30am on Thursday.

The official Bernama news agency quoted a spokesman for Mr Najib saying that the safe contained several documents, including the marriage certificate of the former prime minister and Ms Rosmah.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian police are said to be trying to open eight more safes located in Seri Perdana, the Prime Minister’s official residence, in Putrajaya.

The New Straits Times cited unnamed sources saying that two locksmiths have been tasked with cracking open the safes. Work began at noon on Friday and the process is still ongoing.

“The investigation is ongoing, we cannot say more at the moment,” said the source.

Since Wednesday, the police have raided six premises around Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, including the Prime Minister's Office, the official residence of Mr Najib, and four private residences linked to him as part of investigations into how billions of dollars disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by Mr Najib.

Investigators confiscated 72 bags of cash and valuables, as well as nearly 300 designer handbags from two apartment units linked to former prime minister Najib Razak on Thursday (May 17) night.

Mr Najib and Ms Rosmah have hit out at the way the raids have been conducted, saying that no attempt had been made to verify whether the seized items were related to the investigations.

Ms Rosmah, speaking via her lawyers, also cautioned against a public trial in the media, saying: "It is our hope that the authorities would observe the rule of law and due process, to avoid a premature public trial.

"Enforcement agencies should not be feeding social media trolls, but observe and uphold strict professionalism at all times." AGENCIES