Friday 29 Mar 2024
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PUTRAJAYA (July 3): A crowd of some fifty Najib supporters led by former Ministry of Finance strategic communications director Datuk Lokman Noor Adam has gathered to stage a protest outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters to protest against the arrest of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Chants of 'Long live Najib' and 'Arrest Mahathir' could be heard. The crowd (pictured) also lighted candles outside the premises as a sign of solidarity with the former prime minister, who is currently held up in MACC lock-up.

He is expected to spend the night there before charges are pressed against him tomorrow (Wednesday, July 4) in relation to SRC International Sdn Bhd, formerly a unit of scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

"There is no reason for Najib not to cooperate with the MACC in its investigations. Is there a need for the MACC to put Najib in a cell overnight before pressing charges tomorrow," said Lokman, who is also an Umno supreme council member.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised over the arrest of Najib by the special 1MDB task force, given that the latter announced the arrest, and not the MACC or the police.

In a statement, Malaysian Bar Council president George Varughese said only the MACC and the police have the power to arrest Najib, while the task force had no legal standing to do so. He also questioned if the task force had the legal right to charge Najib.

The task force was formed to look into investigations relating to 1MDB, and reports to the government.

The task force comprises MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull, former MACC commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed, former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and police special branch chief Datuk Abdul Hamid Bador.

Lokman claimed that rather than implicating Najib with previous allegations that he siphoned RM2.6 billion from 1MDB into his personal account, the former premier will likely be charged under Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

"That account bearing Najib's name is a trustee account managed by former SRC International Sdn Bhd chief executive Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

"We believe that there is an element of sabotage because to this day, Nik Faisal is missing," he said.

"This is the person who has channelled RM42 million owned by SRC International into the trustee account under Datuk Seri Najib's name," he added.

Meanwhile, Najib's stepson Riza Aziz, who arrived at MACC headquarters at 1.30pm today after being summoned by the agency, just left the premises at about 10.30pm. He is scheduled to return at 2pm tomorrow for more questioning.

Riza's name has made headlines over the last few years, after a production company he co-founded, Red Granite Pictures Inc, was alleged to have produced films using monies from 1MDB.

In March this year, Red Granite agreed to pay US$60 million to the US Justice Department to settle claims it financed "Wolf of Wall Street" using funds from the troubled state investment firm.

Riza is also known as a friend of Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, who is central to the 1MDB scandal with money trails linking the latter to assets — including luxury paintings, a super yacht, and several real estate assets, among others — acquired using monies alleged siphoned from the fund.

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