‘These are traitors to the people, God and the country’: Former Malaysian official asks Hong Kong police to investigate 1MDB scandal
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur last week to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over a corruption scandal. Photo: AFP
A former Malaysian official has filed a report with Hong Kong police to investigate the 1MDB scandal, after he said he lost faith that police in his homeland would uncover the truth.
Both local businessman Jho Low and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have been implicated in the ongoing investigation.
But a University of Hong Kong law expert said it would be very difficult for local authorities to enforce any punishment against those accused.
Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who was sacked from his post as vice-chairman at the government’s Umno Batu Kawan division, said any wrongdoing needed to be uncovered and punished.
“Ghostly hands, by remote control, have interfered with these investigations,” he told website Free Malaysia Today.
A spokeswoman for Hong Kong police confirmed they had received a report on August 30, where a man requested an investigation into a series of bank deposits.
The spokeswoman said investigations were underway.
It came as Swiss authorities said on Wednesday they had frozen funds in Swiss banks amid investigations into the Malaysian investment bank.
“The office of the attorney general of Switzerland has frozen assets amounting to several tens of millions of US dollars,” a spokeswoman said.
Both Low and Najib have become embroiled in the growing scandal around the alleged misappropriation of more than US$2 billion of Malaysian taxpayer money following a suspicious venture between the Malaysian Development Bank and PetroSaudi.
According to Free Malaysia Today, the police reports filed by Khairuddin requested Hong Kong police investigate what transactions took place between the development bank and three companies owned by Low and his family members.
“These are traitors to the people, God and the country,” he said.
HKU associate law professor James Fry said under international law the ability to enforce legislation in a particular case or against a particular person usually depended on them being in the same jurisdiction.
“Enforcement will be difficult until the person actually arrives in Hong Kong, even assuming there exists the ability to prescribe certain behaviour in that case,” he said.
“This is to say nothing about any immunity issues that might exist if you are dealing with a leader from a foreign country.”
Ten days earlier Khairuddin had also sent evidence of the 1MDB scandal to Switzerland’s attorney-general and other Swiss authorities.
“I will let them conduct comprehensive investigations against all the alleged misappropriation of funds in 1MDB which involves Swiss banks and other international banks,” he wrote on his Facebook page at the time.
Khairuddin lodges reports against Najib, Jho Low in HK
Malaysian Insider
Shane Fuentes | August 31, 2015
The officials in investigating bodies in Malaysia are complicit with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on covering up wrongdoing in 1MDB and “would pay for their misdeeds”.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sacked Umno Batu Kawan division vice-chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan lodged several police reports in Hong Kong on August 30 against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Penangite and businessman Jho Low.
He lamented that he had lost faith in investigations conducted in Malaysia by the police, Bank Negara and the Attorney- General. “Ghostly hands, by remote control, have interfered with these investigations.”
He vowed that when the government in Putrajaya changes hands in the near future, before GE14 in 2018, the officials in these investigating bodies complicit with Najib on covering up wrongdoing in 1MDB “would pay for their misdeeds”.
“These are traitors to the people, God and the country.”
Briefly, the police reports in two sets requested the Hong Kong authorities to investigate what transactions, if any, between three companies owned by Jho Low and family had with 1MDB which has reportedly accumulated debts totaling RM42 billion at last count within five years.
Four other companies are also suspect, added Khairuddin, because Najib is a signatory here and the accounts of the companies show that a total of RM1.125 billion has been kept at the Hong Kong branch of Credit Suisse. “I have requested the Hong Kong police to conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations on the financial sources of the companies concerned and their transactions.”
“I requested the authorities concerned to investigate Alliance Assets International Ltd; Cityfield Enterprises Ltd; Bartingale International Ltd; Wonder Quest Investments Ltd. All these companies have Najib as the signatory.”
Khairuddin, at the same time, also lodged another set of police reports on Jynwell Capital (HK); Jynwell Charitable Foundation; and Strategic Resources (Global Ltd), all owned by Jho Low and family.
The rebel Umno Chief explained that he lodged the police reports in Hong Kong because he wants the authorities concerned abroad to conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations on wrongdoing by parties in Malaysia. “These authorities will be able to launch such investigations away from Najib’s interference and meddling. The focus is on 1MDB and to help bring the suspects involved to justice.”
Shane Fuentes | August 31, 2015
The officials in investigating bodies in Malaysia are complicit with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on covering up wrongdoing in 1MDB and “would pay for their misdeeds”.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sacked Umno Batu Kawan division vice-chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan lodged several police reports in Hong Kong on August 30 against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Penangite and businessman Jho Low.
He lamented that he had lost faith in investigations conducted in Malaysia by the police, Bank Negara and the Attorney- General. “Ghostly hands, by remote control, have interfered with these investigations.”
He vowed that when the government in Putrajaya changes hands in the near future, before GE14 in 2018, the officials in these investigating bodies complicit with Najib on covering up wrongdoing in 1MDB “would pay for their misdeeds”.
“These are traitors to the people, God and the country.”
Briefly, the police reports in two sets requested the Hong Kong authorities to investigate what transactions, if any, between three companies owned by Jho Low and family had with 1MDB which has reportedly accumulated debts totaling RM42 billion at last count within five years.
Four other companies are also suspect, added Khairuddin, because Najib is a signatory here and the accounts of the companies show that a total of RM1.125 billion has been kept at the Hong Kong branch of Credit Suisse. “I have requested the Hong Kong police to conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations on the financial sources of the companies concerned and their transactions.”
“I requested the authorities concerned to investigate Alliance Assets International Ltd; Cityfield Enterprises Ltd; Bartingale International Ltd; Wonder Quest Investments Ltd. All these companies have Najib as the signatory.”
Khairuddin, at the same time, also lodged another set of police reports on Jynwell Capital (HK); Jynwell Charitable Foundation; and Strategic Resources (Global Ltd), all owned by Jho Low and family.
The rebel Umno Chief explained that he lodged the police reports in Hong Kong because he wants the authorities concerned abroad to conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations on wrongdoing by parties in Malaysia. “These authorities will be able to launch such investigations away from Najib’s interference and meddling. The focus is on 1MDB and to help bring the suspects involved to justice.”
