NAJIB Razak’s stepson, Riza Aziz, has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) this afternoon and will be produced in court tomorrow.

The arrest was confirmed by MACC chief Latheefa Koya.

“He has been arrested today and was released on bail. He has to appear before the court tomorrow to face charges under AMLA,” she said, referring to the Anti-Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

MACC sources, meanwhile, said the Hollywood film producer would be charged, as the owner of Red Granite Pictures, with receiving laundered money from Good Star Ltd, a company associated with fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.

He will appear before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow morning.

The 43-year-old, who is the son of Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, from a previous marriage, was arrested at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today.

Red Granite paid US$60 million (RM247 million) to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in March last year to settle claims it produced three films using funds siphoned off 1Malaysia Development Bhd. 

Riza, who holds a background in finance and studied at the London School of Economics. was questioned four times by the MACC in July last year. 

Red Granite Pictures, produced the Wolf of Wall Street – a 2013 film about a massive stock market scam that netted its perpetrator millions of dollars – as well as the Jim Carrey movie Dumb and Dumber To and Daddy’s Home, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. 

The production house had been required to settle the US$60 million sum in three installments over 12 months from March, according to documents filed with the US district court in California.

The company is accused by US authorities of receiving the sum as part of US$238 million allegedly stolen from 1MDB.  

The DoJ believed the money was transferred into bank accounts controlled by Riza.

Riza was accused of using the funds to purchase luxury properties from Low, popularly known as Jho Low, as well as movie posters.

The DoJ had also said Riza claimed the money he received from 1MDB had been “a gift”.

In total, the DoJ is seeking to seize approximately US$1 billion worth of assets allegedly bought with money stolen from 1MDB.

Riza was also named in a RM680 million forfeiture suit filed by prosecutors last month for assets allegedly bought with 1MDB funds. Also named were Nooryana Najwa Najib and Norashman Najib.

Riza will be the third person Najib’s family to be indicted. 

Najib SRC International trial, in which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his personal accounts, is currently being heard. The former prime minister faces up to four other criminal trials, set to begin next year. 

Riza’s mother, Rosmah, faces two criminal trials – one over her involvement in a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid power system project approved in Sarawak and another for money-laundering offences after she received RM7 million via 235 transactions. 

The trials are set to begin in February and May, respectively, next year. – July 4, 2019.