POLICE personnel are attempting to drill open a 20-year-old safe in Najib Razak’s private residence, said the former prime minister’s lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal.

Harpal said the cops have been working at opening the safe since 8.30am.

“So they are drilling and cutting… God knows what’s inside the safe,” he told reporters outside Najib’s house today, adding that the key to the safe was misplaced.

“The search conducted in the premises and the items seized thus far would seem of insignificant value and the continued presence of police officers in his residence and the drilling of the old safe strongly suggests unwarranted harassment,” he said.

“This has caused Najib’s family members, staff and others in the residence mental distress and anguish and casts a bad image on my client,” Harpal said.

Officers started a search of the residence last night, with Harpal saying the former prime minister is being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

He also said Najib and his wife, along with their children, are still in the house and they are not under any kind of house arrest.

“Police are not drilling him with questions, nothing at all, police here are only doing search.

“Najib is not under house arrest. Rosmah and his kids are in the house, so everything is as usual.

“No documents are taken, as I said nothing was taken from the other place (KL Pavillion),” he said.

He added that the 18-hour search has caused Najib and his family to be very tired and that he would send a picture of the opened safe later to the media when completed.

“After all that has happened in 18 hours, he is trying to rest now.

“The search had ended, except for the safe, if there is anything in the safe we will give a snapshot later,” he said. – May 17, 2018.