THE team that nearly nailed former prime minister Najib Razak for the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal will get to finish the job.

The government announced today that former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and Abu Kassim Mohamed, former head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), will lead a special 1MDB investigative team.

The team will also be led by current MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull and former Special Branch deputy director Abdul Hamid Bador, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement today.

“Membership in this team will be made up of the MACC, Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara and several lawyers with expertise in related issues.

“This special team will be responsible for all aspects of investigation, detection of funds and asset seizures resulting from wrongdoing and misappropriation of funds from 1MDB which have been kept or invested in and outside the country,” it said.

It also noted that the team will be responsible for obtaining cooperation with enforcement agencies in the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and other countries involved.

“The government hopes that with the formation of this special team along with the involvement of multiple enforcement agencies, the dignity of the country, which was sullied will be regained, on top of the return of money and assets belonging to Malaysians following the kleptocratic scandal as a result of wrongdoing and financial embezzlement in 1MDB.”

Last week, former finance minister and current member of the newly formed Council of Eminent Persons Daim Zainuddin announced that a third task force to investigate the 1MDB case would soon be formed.

In 2015, a special task force, comprising the heads of the police, central bank, MACC and AGC, began investigating 1MDB, but was disbanded a year later after three members left office.

Another task force was formed by police in 2016 under former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar.

Since leading the Pakatan Harapan coalition to victory in the 14th general election, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has pledged to reopen investigations into allegations that billions of dollars in state funds had been siphoned off from 1MDB by certain individuals.

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who has been accused of playing a role in the embezzlement of 1MDB monies, is under MACC investigation. He is scheduled to give his statement to the anti-graft agency tomorrow. – May 21, 2018.