PARTI Rakyat Sarawak has sought legal advice on what action it should take over the compound notice the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had served against it, said Wilson Nyabong.

The PRS supreme council member told The Malaysian Insight that when he met MACC investigating officers in July over the RM1 million former prime minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Razak gave the party, they were not aware that the money was 1MDB money.

“We never asked him where he got the money, where’s the source. We accepted the money in good faith,” said the Pelagus assemblyman, who was assigned by PRS president James Masing to handle the issue.

Nyabong said they are discussing with their lawyers on its legal position and what decision to take.

“The decision whether to return the money or challenge the compound notice in the court is a decision for the party to make.”

The party, the second largest in the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, was among 80 entities and individuals issued with compound notices to recover some RM420 million belonging to 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

The party has two options – return the money or take its fight to the court.

Nyabong said since they were given two weeks to refund the money, a decision would be made “well within the deadline”.

The two-week deadline to pay the fine is in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

Nyabong said in the meeting with the MACC “investigating officers” in Kuching, they were told to refund the money as it was 1MDB’s funds.

“We said we don’t know. How are we to know?”

The money has also been spent, he said.

“We even gave them a detailed account of how the money was spent.”

Nyabong said the party has been cooperating with MACC in its investigations and would like to find an amicable solution.

“Yes, we received RM1 million from Najib. Nothing to hide. But what we didn’t know was that the RM1 million, as claimed by MACC, was dirty money.”

Najib’s brother, Nazir, property tycoon Lim Soon Peng, Umno politicians Ahmad Maslan, Shahrir Abdul Samad and Hanafi Mamat were among nine individuals served with compound notices.

Nazir was a former CIMB Group Holdings Bhd chairman, while Ahmad was a former deputy finance minister.

Nazir said he will assist anti-graft authorities.

“Not a sen was retained or used by me. I acted in good faith in order to oblige my brother’s request for assistance in the GE13 campaign, and back then, I was informed that the funds originated from legitimate political fund-raising and had no reason to think otherwise.

“I have been a vocal and frequent critic of 1MDB, and the idea that the funds that flowed through the account may have originated from 1MDB has been gut-wrenching for me,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. – October 11, 2019.