(June 13): Malaysia’s attorney general will start his review of 1MDB investigation papers, signalling that charges linked to the troubled state fund may be imminent.
Attorney-General Tommy Thomas has formed two teams, one to study the documents for possible criminal prosecution, and the other for civil proceedings, he said in a statement. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission submitted the files to the Attorney General’s Chambers on Tuesday afternoon.
“We would require time to review the papers but appreciate the urgency and sensitivity of our tasks,” Thomas said in the statement.
While the anti-graft agency has issued arrest warrants for people linked to 1MDB, including financier Low Taek Jho, any charges would come from the public prosecutor.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad hasn’t eased his pace in reviving a probe into the troubled state fund. In the month since his administration swept into power, authorities have questioned former premier Najib Razak and his wife, seized cash and jewellery from properties linked to Najib, and held talks with US and Singapore to uncover the extent of the scandal that has spawned multiple investigations across the globe.
Thomas has signed requests for mutual legal assistance from Switzerland, the US, France and the United Arab Emirates in relation to 1MDB, whose full name is 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
