A PROMINENT lawyer known for handling cases for former ruling party Umno has been detained as part of money laundering investigations and will likely be charged with an ex-media advisor to former prime minister Najib Razak tomorrow.

Sources from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the 47-year-old lawyer, was detained at the anti-graft headquarters at 4.20pm today.

Though MACC sources declined to name the lawyer, The Malaysian Insight learnt that he is Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

He is expected to be charged tomorrow under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

“He has just arrived at the MACC headquarters and we are processing his detention. He will be charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow,” sources told The Malaysian Insight.

The lawyer will likely be charged together with British national Paul Geoffrey Stadlen, who was a former media adviser to Najib Razak.

Stadlen will be charged in absentia as he had fled the country soon after the May 9 general election last year.

He has been sought by the MACC since last year over a case linked to 1MDB.

MACC sources said Stadlen and the lawyer, who has the honorific “Datuk” title, are both connected to RM15 million of funds linked to 1MDB.

Stadlen’s last address in Malaysia was at the Loft Sentral Condominium at KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.

He was said to be Najib’s public relations advisor when the latter was prime minister, but his official role in the administration has never been clear, as Putrajaya then had denied that he headed the Prime Minister’s Department’s communication team.

Stadlen had previously worked for global PR firm Apco. – February 20, 2019.