Najib hires top US lawyers, including ex-AG, as 1MDB probe widens

The Malaysian Insight The Malaysian Insight Updated 5 years ago · Published on 2 Jun 2018 7:00AM · 12 Comments

John Ashcroft was the United States attorney-general during the George W. Bush presidency and oversaw the Department of Justice in the turbulent days after the September 11 terror attacks. – AFP pic, June 2, 2018.

EMBATTLED Najib Razak has engaged the services of a team of top US lawyers, including former attorney-general John Ashcroft and star litigator David Boies, in a clear sign of concern that the widening global probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) could snare him and his family members. 

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has been investigating the alleged siphoning off funds from the state-owned entity for several years and even tagged Najib as Malaysian Official 1, but he had enjoyed immunity from criminal charges as the prime minister of Malaysia.

So, even though the DoJ probe stirred occasionally and captured the headlines, he was largely nonchalant about the US probe and even made a widely publicised trip to the White House last September.

Things have changed drastically since May 9. 

Najib is no longer the head of a foreign government, and, therefore, no longer enjoys full immunity from legal action. 

Furthermore, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration’s vigour in nailing Najib for the 1MDB scandal and cooperating with US investigators, makes the former prime minister and even his wife, Rosmah Mansor, principal targets in the US. 

In the past, the focus of the DoJ investigation was mainly on Najib’s son, Riza Aziz and businessman Low Taek Jho.

But without the immunity of a prime minister and with the focus of the investigation in Malaysia on him and his wife, Najib has moved to hire top lawyers in the US.

Ashcroft was the AG during the George W. Bush presidency and oversaw the DoJ during the difficult days after the September 11 terror attacks.

After the Bush presidency, he set up a powerful lobby group called The Ashcroft Group and The Ashcroft Law Firm.

Checks by The Malaysian Insight show that the law firm registered Najib Razak as client on the Foreign Agents Registration Act register last September. He was listed as the prime minister of Malaysia and under the category of financed by a foreign government/foreign political party and other foreign principal.

It is unclear whether that engagement was for lobby or legal work because the FARA usually covers lobbying work in the US.

The Malaysian Insight understands that in recent days, Najib has engaged Ashcroft as his lawyer. The former PM has also hired David Boies, one of America’s top courtroom lawyers.

He has acted for the US government in its anti-trust case against IT giant Microsoft and aided fallen financiers including AIG’s Hank Greenberg and Enron’s Andy Fastow. 

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that also part of the high-powered legal team is Matthew Schwartz. He spent a decade as a prosecutor in New York and handled several high-profile cases including the investigation of ponzi king Bernie Madoff. 

In 2013, he was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation. Schwartz is now in private practice.

These lawyers are expected in Kuala Lumpur soon. – June 2, 2018.

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Comments

  • No Malaysians?? PROOF that Tun MM's beloved racist NEP produced substandard "rojak" lawyers.

    Posted 5 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Fear of jail time is creeping into his bones and shivers are beginning to manifest.

    Posted 5 years ago by Chris Sav · Reply

  • Haha... Debat in Bahasa.

    Posted 5 years ago by Putang Inang · Reply

  • Minta ampun is the best way to reconcile with the external elements and have peace of mind.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • That lawyer who said the late TBHock commited suicide "cekik sendiri" not qualify to represent Klepto? Only out of the box defence can help Klepto Rhino now

    Posted 5 years ago by Snowbite8281 shachu · Reply

  • So, if US want to jail Najib and Rosmah and we also want to jail them, how do they decide where??

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • This legal team must be costing a bomb. Who's paying for them? J Low?

    Posted 5 years ago by Raz Musa · Reply

  • The SRC case will go on first in local Courts by local lawyers. The rule is foreign lawyers are not allowed in here. He will be pinned flat in SRC case. Next will be the 1MDB case. This will be heard in the US and many other countries.Singapore has brought the matter to Court and now willing to return the money laundered there. Also, in Malaysia as it involves a Malaysian company -1 MDB . Najib will not win whoever he employs as lawyers. His future looks very bleak.

    Posted 5 years ago by Ken destino · Reply

  • If i am not mistaken, the previous AG including Najib and Zahid disallowed foreign law attorney to undertake local legal case. Reason they have given was Malaysia is a Sovereign Nation and do not need external involvement into local law and government matters. Now he wants to appoint US law expert? And moreover the American legal system differs from our British system? It should be more appropriate he hires these legal experts to attend to the DOJ accusations, not our local 1MDB case.

    Posted 5 years ago by David Mok · Reply

  • Even more reason that our AG must be of super quality. How is it that the royalty do not concur with the rakyat's wishes? The people of Malaysia have spoken loud and clear. WHY?? Why??

    Posted 5 years ago by Manonmoney Natchimthu · Reply

  • Even more reason that our AG must be of super quality. How is it that the royalty do not concur with the rakyat's wishes? The people of Malaysia have spoken loud and clear. WHY?? Why??

    Posted 5 years ago by Manonmoney Natchimthu · Reply

  • David Boies, incredibly, lost the most important case of his career, the 2000 US election in a decision that gave the US Presidency to George W Bush.

    Posted 5 years ago by Don Frazer · Reply