Najib Razak’s wife arrested

International Desk: The Malaysian anti-corruption commission on Wednesday arrested Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former premier Najib Razak, after calling her in to give a statement linked to investigations into the scandal-ridden 1MDB state investment fund, from which an alleged $4.5bn has gone missing.

Ms Rosmah will be charged tomorrow morning under the anti-money laundering act, according to an MACC official. Mr Najib has already been charged with 32 counts of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust under the same act. He has pleaded not guilty in two separate court hearings and will face trial as early as February next year.

Ms Rosmah will spend the night at the MACC headquarters, added the official, before heading to Kuala Lumpur courts at 8.30am on Thursday morning.

Today was Ms Rosmah’s third meeting with the anti-corruption commission. She was interrogated on June 5 in relation to SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary which is at the heart of the charges against her husband. On September 26, she faced a second round of questioning directly linked to the state fund that lasted 13 hours.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has unleashed a fierce investigation into 1MDB ever since ousting Mr Najib in May’s general elections, has said he believes Ms Rosmah received some of the allegedly embezzled money.

K. Kumaraendran, Ms Rosmah’s lawyer, declined to immediately comment on the arrest, but said his team would release a statement later on Wednesday.

Source: Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 3, 2018/AI