Najib explains why he had so many luxury handbags, cash and valuables
Wednesday, 20 Jun 201810:35 PM MYT
by praveen menon and joseph sipalan
A file picture of Najib at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Office in Putrajaya, May 24, 2018. - AP
LANGKAWI: Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak says he shouldn't be blamed for the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal, and declares he knows nothing about money from the state fund appearing in his personal account.
He does, though, have explanations for the vast sums of cash, luxury handbags and jewellery recently seized from his homes by the Malaysian authorities.
Speaking to Reuters in his first sit-down interview since his shock May 9 election defeat, Najib said his advisors and the management and board of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), had wrongly kept the alleged embezzlement of funds a secret from him.
Newly-elected Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told Reuters on Tuesday that the authorities have "an almost perfect case" against Najib on charges of embezzlement, misappropriation and bribery linked to 1MDB.
The 64-year-old politician lost the election after a decade in power at least partly because of the 1MDB scandal, which U.S. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has described as "kleptocracy at its worst".
Najib, in some of his most extensive comments yet on the 1MDB scandal, said he did not know if hundreds of millions of dollars that moved through his personal account was from 1MDB, and if money from the fund was eventually laundered to acquire assets globally, including yachts, paintings, gems and prime real estate.
"I'm not party to the yacht, the paintings...I've never seen those paintings whatsoever," said Najib.
"I was not aware of these purchases. This was done without my knowledge. I would never authorise 1MDB funds to be used for any of these items. I've been in government so long, I know what's right and what's wrong," Najib said in the interview held at a luxurious sea-facing private villa in a five-star hotel on Pulau Langkawi.
He blamed 1MDB's board, saying it was incumbent upon them to tell him if something was wrong.
Relaxing in a black T-shirt and brown pants, Najib said he was enjoying golf, food, and time with his family.
The family booked the villa to celebrate Eid holidays together. Najib's children, including stepson Riza Aziz, a Hollywood film producer, were with him for the week, his aides told Reuters.
Wedding gifts
Malaysian investigators looking into 1MDB say they believe that Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor have amassed vast amounts of wealth and property using funds from the state fund. Rosmah briefly appeared at the interview but Najib said she would not take questions.
Nearly 300 boxes of designer handbags and dozens of bags filled with cash and jewellery were among the items taken away by police in raids at properties linked to Najib's family. Items included Birkin handbags from the luxury goods maker Hermes, each worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Najib said the public seizure of handbags and other luxury items created a negative perception but most were gifts given to his wife and daughter and had nothing to do with 1MDB.
"Yes these were gifts, particularly with my daughter's they were tagged, they were actually labelled: when, by whom," adding that a lot of them were wedding presents.
Najib said his son-in-law Daniyar Nazarbayev, the nephew of Kazakstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev, also gifted many of the handbags to Rosmah.
"People might find it hard to understand, but my son-in-law for example, he gets Birkin from his source, five or six at one go," he said.
"His family has got some means, so it has nothing to do with 1MDB if it comes from Kazakhstan."
He also said RM114mil found at his family home in Kuala Lumpur were party funds belonging to Umno, of which he was president until he stepped down shortly after the poll.
Pink diamonds
U.S. prosecutors have alleged that more than US$4.5bil (RM18.02bil) of 1MDB funds was laundered through a complex web of transactions and shell companies. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed several lawsuits to claim about US$1.7bil (RM6.8bil) in assets believed to have been stolen from 1MDB.
Some of the assets sought include a Picasso painting, luxury real estate in South California and New York, shares in a Hollywood production company and a US$265mil (RM1.06bil) yacht, and more than US$200mil (RM800.9mil) worth of jewellery – including a 22-carat pink diamond pendant and necklace.
Najib said this jewellery set was also meant to be a gift for his wife but she never received it.
"And until today we do not know...she says the item is not in her possession," Najib said.
In the interview, Najib for the first time also spoke at length about Low Taek Jho, a Malaysian financier better known as Jho Low. U.S. and Malaysian investigators have named Low as a key figure who benefited from 1MDB funds.
Najib said he felt that Low's connections in the Middle East, particularly with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, could be helpful in pulling in more investment to Malaysia from those places.
But he said he had never instructed Low to get involved in 1MDB, and had no control over what he did.
"I didn't give him instructions, but he volunteered to do certain things, which he thought would help 1MDB. But whatever he did ultimately is the responsibility of the management and board."
Malaysia is seeking to arrest Low, believed to be residing abroad, for his involvement in the 1MDB scandal.
He described Low and Najib's stepson Riza as friends but said he was not aware of any dealings involving 1MDB funds in Riza's Hollywood production company, which produced The Wolf of Wall Street among other movies.
When asked if he was still in touch with Low, Najib said:
"We have cut off communication again. I don't know where he is."
Low's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saudi connection
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in 1MDB. He has said US$681mil (RM2.72bil) transferred into his personal bank account was a donation from Saudi Arabia, and not as U.S. lawsuits have alleged misappropriated funds from 1MDB.
Najib said he had been given assurances from the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud that Saudi Arabia would be sending a donation.
"All I knew, I accepted at face value that this is coming from the Saudis, from King Abdullah at his behest, at his instruction," Najib said.
Najib said he had no knowledge of any transactions involving his personal account, as he had appointed Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, the director of SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, to manage it.
Malaysia's anti-graft agency has issued an arrest warrant for Nik Faisal but his whereabouts are unknown.
Never had plans to leave
The former prime minister said he is determined to stay in Malaysia and fight against the allegations, even if he faces the possibility of going to jail.
"No, I never had plans to leave. Because if I leave, there's presumption of guilt," he said.
"I cannot be a fugitive for the rest of my life. I want to clear my name." – Reuters
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/20/najib-explains-why-he-had-so-many-luxury-handbags/#Uf6U8pb6xhHfd3sI.99
NAJIB AND FAMILY BACK IN KL
A photo of Najib at the Langkawi airport arriving for his holiday uploaded to former Kuah assemblyman's Nor Saidi Nanyan's (front row, second from right) Facebook page.
PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is back in Kuala Lumpur after a brief holiday to Pulau Langkawi, Kedah.
"Myself (sic) and my family have safely returned to Kuala Lumpur,"
"Thank you to all on duty at the Westin hotel in Langkawi and MAS for taking care of myself and my family the entire trip," he said on his Facebook earlier Wednesday (June 20).
Last week, social media was set alight by sightings of Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in Langkawi.
This led to Kedah police chief Comm Datuk Zainal Abidin Kasim issuing a statement asking the public to stop speculating on the matter.
"Why should he run away as he has not been found guilty? There have been no charges brought against him," said Comm Zainal.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/20/najib-back-in-kl-after-langkawi-holiday/#V0DQ5QbQGRBYDcc2.99
Najib berbual tentang Jho Low, berlian merah jambu dan Altantuya
Reuters | June 20, 2018
Bekas perdana menteri bercakap tentang skandal 1MDB dan aset yang dirampas.
Gambar Reuters
LANGKAWI: Bekas perdana menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak bercakap dengan pemberita Reuters untuk temubual pertama sejak kekalahan pilihan raya 9 Mei, dan berbual panjang tentang skandal 1MDB, ratusan beg tangan mewah dan aset lain yang dirampas pihak berkuasa daripadanya, dan bagaimana dia berdepan siasatan itu.
Berikut sorotan temubual itu.
Tentang skandal 1MDB:
“Saya tidak dapat manfaat daripada 1MDB, kerana saya percaya 1MDB diwujudkan untuk melakukan sesuatu yang baik untuk negara.
“Kalau saya tahu akan berlaku penggelapan dana, jika saya tahu tentangnya, saya akan bertindak.”
Tentang sama ada dia salahkan masalah di syarikat itu pada lembaga 1MDB:
“Tak. Prinsip umumnya ialah jika mereka tahu ada sesuatu yang tidak betul, jadi mereka ada tanggungjawab untuk memberitahu saya…lembaga syarikat dan pihak pengurusan ada tanggungjawab untuk melakukan perkara yang betul. Saya mengharapkan mereka melakukan perkara yang betul dan mengikut undang-undang.”
Tentang ahli perniagaan Jho Low:
“Kita tiada kawalan ke atas apa yang dilakukannya. Saya tidak boleh membuat sebarang penilaian. Tetapi ada perkara-perkara tertentu yang mungkin dilakukannya atau mungkin tidak dilakukannya. Namun begitu, saya bersetuju siasatan harus diteruskan dan jika ada mana-mana orang didapati melanggar undang-undang, biarlah undang-undang yang mengadilinya.
“Tidak, dia bukan bekerja bagi pihak saya. Dia tidak pernah menggunakan nama saya untuk semua perkara itu, tetapi dia ada mengatakan dia bertindak untuk orang lain.”
Ditanya Jho Low bertindak untuk siapa, Najib menjawab: “Anda perlu tanya soalan itu pada dia.”
Tentang barang kemas, termasuk set berlian merah jambu untuk isteri:
“Saya tidak tahu dari mana sebenarnya sumber dana untuk barang-barangan itu. Apa yang saya tahu ialah apabila saya bertanyakan isteri saya tentang perkara itu, dia jawab ada satu ketika ia sepatutnya hadiah untuknya. Tetapi dia tidak pernah menerimanya.”
Tentang mengapa dia tidak bercakap panjang lebar tentang dakwaan berkaitan 1MDB sebelum ini:
“Semua perkara itu berlaku di luar Malaysia. Jadi ada kesan-kesan antarabangsa jika saya bercakap tentangnya, kerana saya akan namakan beberapa orang ternama tertentu yang mungkin boleh menjejaskan hubungan diplomatik antara kita. Atas sebab itu saya menahan diri daripada bercakap tentangnya.”
Tentang sama ada anak tiri menggunakan dana 1MDB untuk menghasilkan filem:
“…Saya juga ingin katakan bahawa Riza telah melakukannya dengan baik sekali…filem-filem itu, jualan laris mencecah lebih AS$800 juta. Jadi ia bukan kena-mengena dengan salahguna. Ia ada kena-mengena dengan keuntungan. Tetapi sumber dana itu sedang disiasat. Jadi, saya rasa elok kita tunggu hasil siasatannya.”
Tentang AS$681 juta yang dipindahkan ke akaun peribadi Najib pada 2013:
“Memandangkan pilihan raya akan diadakan, saya tidak mahu dapatkan dana daripada syarikat kerana mereka akan harapkan sesuatu sebagai balasan. Jika saya ada sumber dana, bolehlah saya biaya pilihan raya itu dan saya boleh juga melakukan kerja-kerja CSR (tanggungjawab sosial korporat) tanpa rasa terhutang budi pada sesiapa. Itulah niat sebenar saya, dan saya menganggap tiada masalah.”
Tentang pilihan raya:
“Saya ada nampak tanda-tandanya. Saya tak jangka ia akan menimpa sebegini teruk. Saya sangkakan kita mungkin akan tewas di beberapa kerusi tetapi saya tak sangka keputusan sebegitu dramatik, seperti satu bencana.
“Pengalaman ini meninggalkan kesan yang sangat mendalam, bagi sebuah parti berkuasa sejak ia ditubuhkan lebih 60 tahun lalu. Sejarah Malaysia ini secara asasnya ialah sejarah Umno dan Barisan Nasional.
“Mereka (pembangkang) lempar pelbagai dakwaan-dakwaan yang sangat cabul untuk memfitnah saya dan kerajaan. Malangnya selepas beberapa ketika, ia mengubah pandangan orang ramai.”
Tentang perdana menteri baru, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad:
“Dia kenal BN, dia kenal perkhidmatan awam. Dia mengenali semuanya tentang sistem ini jadi dia beroperasi dari dalam dan dari luar, jadi pengetahuan itu beri kelebihan kepadanya.
“Dia seorang yang cerdik kerana dia boleh simpulkan sesuatu dalam bahasa yang sangat mudah untuk disampaikan berulang kali. Satu lagi perkara yang buat saya rasa sedih ialah kita bukannya kalah kepada agenda yang lebih hebat.”
Tentang wang tunai RM114 juta yang dirampas daripadanya:
“Saya kekal pertahankan wang itu sumbangan yang tulen, kerana serbuan berlaku 2 hari selepas pilihan raya umum. Selaku presiden parti, saya perlu melakukan persiapan untuk pilihan raya dan pilihan raya memerlukan banyak wang.
“Pada masa pilihan raya sumbangan dibuat secara tunai. Masa pilihan raya anda tidak serahkan cek kerana orang mahukan wang tunai. Dari situlah wang itu kemudian diagihkan sewajarnya.”
Tentang pembunuhan wanita warga Mongolia, Altantuya Shaariibuu:
“Kes Altantuya sudah diselesaikan. Sama sekali tidak ada bukti menunjukkan saya ada bertemunya, tidak ada rekod, tidak ada gambar atau saksi mengatakan saya mengenalinya. Kes itu diadili dalam perbicaraan yang dijalankan seperti sepatutnya dan nama saya tidak sekalipun disebut dalam perbicaraan itu.
“Turut dicatatkan saya bersumpah di masjid atas nama Allah yang saya tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan kes itu.”
