THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency warned all involved parties to return voluntarily funds obtained from 1Malaysia Development Berhad before the agency starts weeding them out.

MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull was commenting on the 408 bank accounts containing RM1.1 billion which were frozen as part of its investigation into the 1MDB scandal.

Shukri said the agency has concrete proof that the money in the frozen accounts was from 1MDB.

“This is illegal money (wang haram) from 1MDB. We urge the account owners to come forward and discuss with MACC. We ask them to return the money voluntarily. This is the people’s money,” he said in a press conference after a book launch in Petaling Jaya today.

“The accounts that we froze, we have evidence that the money is from 1MDB.”

He added that the accounts of various parties, including political parties, were frozen to assist with investigations. 

The money in the frozen accounts amounted to RM1.1 billion, excluding foreign holdings, he said. 

The frozen accounts belong to 81 individuals, 55 companies, a political party and several civil society groups.

If account holders did not cooperate, the money would be forfeited and action taken against them, he said.

The anti-graft chief, who also sits on the 1MDB task force, also stressed that no party was tipped off before the raids as MACC wanted the element of surprise. – July 3, 2018.