AFTER almost 21 hours of being grilled, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are still not done with Riza Aziz.

The stepson of disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak ended his third day at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today after a seven-hour questioning session  pertaining to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Riza turned up just before noon today, and left at about 6.30pm. He is expected to return to MACC tomorrow at about 10.30am for the fourth round of questioning.  On all occassions, he has declined to speak to the press.

The 48-year-old was first called to the MACC office on Tuesday, where he spent a record nine hours being questioned. Yesterday, he was grilled for six hours.

The 1MDB probe in Malaysia was reopened after the Pakatan Harapan coalition won the 14th general election.

Riza is a film producer and co-founder of Hollywood film production company Red Granite Pictures, which has been accused of funding its hundred-million-dollar productions with money siphoned from 1MDB.

Riza has kept a low profile since his name was bandied about by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in relation to its efforts to recover assets bought with funds allegedly stolen from the state fund.

In March 2018, the producers of the hit Hollywood film, The Wolf of Wall Street, agreed to pay US$60 million to the US government to settle a suit alleging the film was funded with money stolen from 1MDB.

Red Granite Pictures was accused of receiving US$64 million from the US$238 million which was allegedly stolen from 1MDB.

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

Riza was accused of using the funds to purchase luxury properties from fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused Najib, who was prime minister and finance minister when 1MDB was set up, of being complicit in the embezzlement of state funds.

Najib has denied all wrongdoing.

After weeks of investigations, raids and hours of questioning, Najib was charged yesterday with three counts of criminal breach of trust and misusing his position.

Authorities say there will be more charges to come in relation

to the 1MDB affair. – July 5, 2018.