SWISS prosecutors have expressed their interest in restarting investigations into the scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), according to reports.

The Office of the Attorney-General of Switzerland in a statement said it is “very much interested in renewing dialogue with the competent authorities in Malaysia” and “favours an exchange between partnering authorities at their earliest convenience”.

Singapore authorities have also extended further assistance to Malaysian investigators into the flow of money in the multi-billion-dollar controversy, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Commercial Affairs Department said in an email, reports Bloomberg.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed said four days ago there was enough evidence to restart the probe into 1MDB.

The immigration department has also issued travel restrictions on former prime minister Najib Razak, who has been accused along with several others of having a role to play in the siphoning off of billions of dollars from the state investment fund.

Auditor-general Dr Madinah Mohamad has also announced that its office has declassified an audit report on 1MDB that was protected under the Official Secrets Act.

Meanwhile, DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang said he has contacted Swiss MPs to support the motion to repatriate RM430 million confiscated from Swiss banks to Malaysia.

“I have emailed Swiss MPs asking them to support the motion in Swiss Parliament to repatriate  RM430 million 1MDB-related funds confiscated from Swiss banks because of corruption to Malaysia to benefit Malaysians harmed by the 1MDB scandal,” he said in a statement last week.

He said Article 35 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption upheld the principle that “entities or persons who have suffered damage as a result of an act of corruption have the right to initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for that damage in order to obtain compensation”. – May 16, 2018.