In denying 1MDB blame, Najib opens Pandora’s Box of reprisals

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 21 Jun 2018 9:00AM · 6 Comments

Najib Razak had initially told his aides that he would take the fall, provided they remain loyal. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 21, 2018.

ABANDONED by his party and erstwhile friends, Najib Razak has now thrown everyone under the bus by denying any culpability and responsibility for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal or its money found in his accounts.

Malaysia’s former prime minister can now expect the same treatment from those being sought after in connection of the multi-billion ringgit scandal that threatens the country’s credit standing and finances.

And those reprisals could very well help send Najib, scion of the Razak political family, to jail for a long time if what Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says is true.

Just after losing power on May 9, Najib had sent word to his inner circle that he would bear the brunt of all action from the new government as long as his aides kept being loyal to him.

But the Reuters interview published yesterday signals a change of strategy that is consistent with avoiding responsibility and laying it at the feet of his aides – some of whom have passed on or are hiding in safe houses across the world.

The former prime minister did however have explanations for the vast sums of cash, luxury handbags and jewellery recently seized from his homes by the authorities.

Speaking to Reuters in his first sit-down interview since his shock May 9 election defeat, Najib said his advisers and the 1MDB management and board had wrongly kept the alleged embezzlement of funds a secret from him.

Najib, in some of his most extensive comments yet on the 1MDB scandal, said he did not know if hundreds of millions of dollars that moved through his personal account was from 1MDB, and if money from the fund was eventually laundered to acquire assets globally, including yachts, paintings, gems and prime real estate.

“I’m not party to the yacht, the paintings…I’ve never seen those paintings whatsoever,” said the country’s sixth prime minister until May 9.

“I was not aware of these purchases. This was done without my knowledge. I would never authorise 1MDB funds to be used for any of these items. I’ve been in government so long, I know what’s right and what’s wrong,” Najib said in the interview held at a luxurious sea-facing private villa in a five-star hotel in Langkawi.

Malaysian investigators looking into 1MDB say they believe that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor have amassed vast amounts of wealth and property using funds from the state fund. Rosmah briefly appeared at the interview but Najib said she would not take questions.

Nearly 300 boxes of designer handbags and dozens of bags filled with cash and jewellery were among the items taken away by police in raids at properties linked to Najib’s family. Items included Birkin handbags from the luxury goods maker Hermes, each worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Najib said the public seizure of handbags and other luxury items created a negative perception but most were gifts given to his wife and daughter and had nothing to do with 1MDB.

Najib said his son-in-law Daniyar Nazarbayev, the nephew of Kazakstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, also gifted many of the handbags to Rosmah.

“People might find it hard to understand, but my son-in-law for example, he gets Birkin from his source, five or six at one go,” he said, adding the gifts came from abroad and not linked to 1MDB.

He also said RM114 million found at his family home in Kuala Lumpur were party funds belonging to Umno, which he was president until he stepped down shortly after the polls. 

For now, Najib is trying to shape and bend the narrative of the loot and money that moved into his accounts. 

He now has to wait to hear what will be corroborated or denied by those who have turned state witness and those offering to shed some light into the scandal that will cost Malaysia billions in years to come. – June 21, 2018.

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • His demeanour of his ridiculous story says he lives a tortured souless meaningless inhuman existence. He should be put to sleep like a suffering animal..

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • .....and he calls himself a Leader! Take responsibility and admit your wrong doings, apologies and take stock of your life! He swear on the Quaran and now that box is about to open too ...... His statement yesterday about gifts to his daughter is the joke of his life! UMNO is yet to condenm him all their fall ..... this is Bolehland!

    Posted 5 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

  • When the crunch comes it is everyone for himself. There is no honor among thieves.

    Posted 5 years ago by Henry Mancini Jr · Reply

  • Right now this half wit has yet to realise how deep a shit he is in. He thought that as a presumptious scion from his family lineage will allow him a leeway to deviously manipulate the system and the country mass perception to his likings and doings. Sadly he needs to be jolted up and the reality of trauma will hit him like tons of immense weight but it will be far too late for him to make amends. His many crimes and damages to the country is irreversible to be just pardoned. His guise of being a goody goody during the hour of needs could not hide the real revealing snobbish and disrespectfull attitude be it to friends , elders, different races in the country. It is contemptuous which the whole country finds it very revolting. From a young age as a politician with all his life being sheltered and all his wrong doings are easily covered by someone who wil be the fall guy has easily been ingrained in him that his life is set and taken for granted that he can do no wrongs. Najib playfully actions of swearing on the Koran in those days are now coming back to haunt him. The overwhelmingly mockeries and the sacriledges of the holy sanctity by his misdeed are unforgivable. An end to the episode of all his shenanigans will be a befitting of final farewell by capital punishment to aappease the rakyat loath of unscrupulous politician and also a deterent to future Najib wanabees.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • This was our leader who has done no wrong. All wrongs were done by others.… Under his watch.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Go on dig a deeper holes for yourself. Like a trap animal in a ditch, his body language and thoughts belies what he spews. Tortured maybe your last free days, deservedly.

    Posted 5 years ago by Shovel Nose · Reply