The Age's corruption claims on several Malaysians will be investigated - Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday gave his assurance that claims of corruption involving several Malaysian individuals regarding purchase of property in Melbourne, Australia, will be thoroughly investigated.

"The authorities here will conduct comprehensive investigations into the claims, and if any wrongdoing is found, action will be taken," he said in a statement on his Facebook and Twitter sites.

Australian newspaper The Age has reported that a high ranking MARA official, a senior official of the government-linked company and a former politician had spent millions of government funds to buy an apartment block in Melbourne and had received kickbacks involving the purchase.

The newspaper had reported that "a group of very rich Malaysians" had overpaid A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million) for the apartment block in the Australian city.

The trio are alleged to have asked for the price of the building known as Dudley International House to be marked up from A$17.8 million to A$22.5 million(RM65.3 million), with the difference to be their "cut".

Dudley International House was bought to serve as a hostel for MARA students in Melbourne.

The five-storey building in the East Caulfield suburb is currently accommodating 115 MARA students who are studying at Monash University.