AS Najib Razak heads to the polls, the 1MDB scandal continues to dog him after Swiss prosecutors launched a criminal probe into officials of a Saudi Arabian oil company.

The Financial Times reports today that the investigation into two unnamed individuals from PetroSaudi for offences, including fraud, bribery and aggravated money laundering, is part of a long-running wider inquiry into misappropriation of 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds.

The Swiss probe into PetroSaudi is the latest damaging revelation for the caretaker prime minister as he seeks a new mandate on May 9.

The Swiss inquiry is the first officially disclosed criminal case targeted at employees of the Saudi company, a business co-founded by one of the kingdom’s princes.

American investigators have previously alleged that US$1 billion (RM4 billion) meant for a joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi was siphoned off by Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman. PetroSaudi has always denied wrongdoing.

The PetroSaudi officials are being investigated over criminal mismanagement, bribery of foreign public officials, aggravated money laundering and misconduct in public office, the Swiss prosecutor said. One of the pair is also suspected of document forgery.

Last June, the United States Department of Justice filed several suits to seize more than US$1.7 billion in assets acquired by funds stolen from 1MDB. The DoJ also claimed that US$20 million ended up in the bank account of an unnamed top Malaysian official.

Both Low and Najib have denied any wrongdoing.

Najib was the former chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board. – May 1, 2018.