Malaysia says it is building strong corruption case against former leader Najib Razak

Malaysia's new prime minister has claimed investigators have an "almost perfect case" against former leader Najib Razak, who will face charges of bribery, theft of government funds and embezzlement for his role in the 1MDB scandal.

Mahathir Mohamad described on Wednesday how Mr Najib’s signature was on all the 1MDB transaction documents.

In an interview with Reuters, Mr Mahathir said Mr Najib was “totally responsible for 1MDB. Nothing can be done without his signature, and we have his signature on all the deals entered into by 1MDB. Therefore, he is responsible.”

Mr Najib set up the 1MDB government fund in 2009 but it became entrenched in scandal in 2015 when it emerged that billions had been embezzled around the world, allegedly used by associates of Mr Najib’s to fund spending sprees and yachts. Some $681 million of the fund was alleged to have been transferred into Mr Najib’s personal bank account and used to purchase jewellery for his wife Rosmah Mansor and pay their credit card bills.

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According to Tony Pua, a minister in the finance office, 1MDB's debts and losses total $10 billion.

Bring charges

While in office Mr Najib fired those who tried to bring charges against him for 1MDB and then oversaw an investigation that cleared himself of all wrongdoing. During the election, the 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda went on a campaign declaring that the fund was in good health.

However, since the opposition won the May election, led by 92-year-old Mr Mahathir, they made the renewed 1MDB investigation a key priority. Newly appointed finance minister Lim Guan Eng recently described 1MDB as the "worst corruption scandal ever in Malaysian history".

Responding to Mr Mahathir’s comments, Mr Najib told Reuters: “As far as I am concerned, I did not do anything that I thought was illegal.”

Expected arrests

Mr Mahathir said he expected arrests in the next few months and said that a trial would “hopefully” be under way by the end of the year. There would be “no deal” for Mr Najib.

The charges Mr Najib is likely to face in court are “embezzlement, stealing government money, losing government money and a number of other charges. Using government money to bribe. All those things,” said Mr Mahathir, adding: “When we go to the courts, we will have clear evidence of the wrongdoing. We cannot afford to lose.”

Also subject to investigation is Mr Najib’s wife Rosmah, who was alleged to profit personally from embezzled 1MDB funds, bankrolling her expensive taste in clothes and jewellery. A recent raid on an apartment linked to Rosmah and Mr Najib, as part of the 1MDB investigation, saw 274 Birkin handbags seized as well as 72 bags of cash, jewellery and gold bars, the value of which is still being calculated.

However, Mr Mahathir acknowledged Rosmah’s alleged role was hard to prove. “Some of the money is believed to have gone to her, lots of money,” Mr Mahathir said. “We know about this, but finding the paper trail is a bit more difficult in this case because she doesn’t sign any papers.” – Guardian