The former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak , has been further charged with abuse of power and money-laundering.
19 Sep Najib Razak was arrested by the Agency for fight against corruption for the translation of 681 million dollars in his Bank account. After his detention, he was transferred to the police station and then brought before the court, where he was charged, Japantimes reports.
Najib Razak is charged with 21 counts of embezzlement. He is charged with illegal receipt of money and embezzlement, as well as transfer of money to other accounts. The former head of the Cabinet is also accused of violating the law on money laundering and financing of terrorism
He faces up to 20 years in prison for abuse of power under the anti-corruption act and up to five years on 21 anti-money laundering charges.
In July and August, Najib Razak was charged with seven corruption episodes – it was about the appropriation of $10.2 million — funds of the state investment Fund SRC International. The criminal case against the former Prime Minister started just a few months after his defeat in the elections. He pleaded not guilty, and the trial was to begin next year.
Najib Razak created the Fund 1MDB when he came to power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the Fund has collected billions of dollars in debt, and currently in the US and a number of other countries the Fund appears in criminal cases on charges of embezzlement and money laundering.
The scandal first occurred in 2015, when leaked documents showed that $ 681 million was transferred to Najib Razak’s account. Then mass street rallies began in the country, urging him to resign. Najib Razak has fired his critics in the government, including the Deputy Prime Minister and the attorney General.
The new attorney General “cleared” Najib Razak’s suspicions in January 2016, saying that the money in his account was a political donation from the Saudi Royal family, and most of that money was returned.
American investigators say that Razak’s employees stole and laundered $ 4.5 billion from the Fund, some of which” settled ” in the Bank account of the former Prime Minister.
The new government again launched an investigation into the former Prime Minister and banned him and his wife from leaving the country. The police also confiscated jewelry and hundreds of bags and other valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($273 million).
According to police, the Bank account of the former head of government was transferred 972 million dollars from three companies associated with 1MDB.
Najib Razak, 65, accused Malaysia’s new government, led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, of political revenge and vowed to clear his name in court.
