This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on November 1, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said yesterday he had directed the police to make further investigation into state-owned strategic investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) following the lack of evidence in certain areas, according to a Bernama report.

“When the investigation papers are referred to us, we go through them. [When] we find a lack of evidence, we give instructions that the team should carry out investigations in certain areas. Those areas I cannot disclose. The investigation is still on.

“About 20 to 25% of the investigation papers need to be reviewed,” he reportedly told a press conference here yesterday. He also noted there were reports that the 1MDB case had been thrown out, which he said were “not correct”, according to a report by Malaysiakini.

The AG was commenting on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s statement on Monday, which revealed that he on Oct 24 directed the police to reinvestigate the 1MDB fund scandal. Azalina issued the statement in response to Puchong member of parliament Gobind Singh Deo, who asked why there was a delay in concluding the case, as police submitted the investigation papers to the AG’s Chambers on April 12.

 On Sept 20, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun was also reported as saying that the police had wrapped up their investigations into 1MDB. Malaysiakini wrote that when asked if the missing evidence included investigations into businessman Low Taek Jho, Mohamed Apandi said he was being goaded to reveal further information and subsequently declined to comment.

Low has been closely linked to 1MDB, where allegedly billions of ringgit was claimed to have been siphoned off by certain individuals. Low, however, has denied the allegations directed at him. Investigations related to 1MDB centering on alleged financial irregularities and possible money laundering have been initiated in several countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and the US.