1MDB has no assets in the US, not directly named in DOJ report - Prime Minister
Astro Awani
July 29, 2016 20:57 MYT
July 29, 2016 20:57 MYT
NAJIB: "Only those specifically named in the report are mentioned in the report. This means that 1MDB is not directly involved in the report." - Photo by Astro AWANI/SHAHIR OMAR
The government strategic investment company 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is not directly involved in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) report.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today said the report did not contain any information from the Malaysian government, Attorney-General's Chambers or 1MDB itself.
He said only those specifically named in the report are mentioned in the report.
"This means that 1MDB is not directly involved in the report. In other words, 1MDB has no assets in the United States, and 1MDB is not directly named in the report," the UMNO president told a press conference after chairing a meeting of the UMNO Supreme Council at Menara Dato' Onn, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here today.
Datuk Seri Najib said the report did not take into account the views and or explanations from the Malaysian side and was compiled without referring to 1MDB.
Bernama reported the Prime Minister also said the government viewed the matter seriously and, as he had said earlier, those named in the report should clear their names in accordance with the respective rights and appropriate process.
"We hope that the question of settlement among 1MDB, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and Aabar Investments can follow the specific process so that the question of assets and the transferred funds can be definitively determined," he said.
Datuk Seri Najib also questioned the handling of the report which was given massive publicity because he said it was not a precedent case and, usually, civil suits were quite low key.
Asked whether the report was just a compilation of media reports, Najib said: "On the surface it would appear that it came from certain sources, but we will observe the proceedings that would follow suit because I cannot say for sure where it came from but certainly not from 1MDB, the AG (Attorney-General)
or the Government of Malaysia."
The DOJ recently filed civil lawsuits to seize assets which it claimed were acquired from funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.
Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications director Datuk Abdul Rahman recently said DOJ should at least have the courtesy to contact 1MDB to listen to their side of the story rather than only based its reports on the online news website (Sarawak Report).
He described the action as unbecoming for Loretta Lynch to use such a strong language in a situation when she was unsure whether there was a case or not.
The DOJ recently filed lawsuits seeking to seize dozens of properties tied to Malaysian state fund 1MDB, saying that over US$3.5 billion (RM14.28 billion) was misappropriated from the institution.
Datuk Seri Najib on Monday has called for the individuals implicated in the DOJ report on 1MDB to clear their names and take responsibility for their actions.