PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived at the anti-corruption agency’s office Thursday for more questioning over a massive graft scandal at a state investment fund that he set up.
Najib, who was ousted in a shock defeat in May 9 national elections marked by public anger over the scandal, smiled and waved at reporters before entering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission building.
He had been questioned there for more than four hours Tuesday, specifically over why 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) was transferred into his bank account from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund, using multiple intermediary companies.
That transfer was in addition to some $700 million of 1MDB funds that U.S. investigators say landed in Najib’s bank account. Najib set up 1MDB when he took office in 2009 but it accumulated billions in debts and is being investigated in several countries. The US Justice Department say Najib’s associates stole and laundered $4.5 billion from the fund.
Malaysia’s new anti-graft chief has said Najib, who denies any wrongdoing, could face criminal charges “very soon.”
