Swiss, US and Singaporean authorities have conducted several years of investigations into allegations that more than US$3 billion was diverted from 1 Malaysia Development Bhd., originally intended as an investment fund to foster economic development across Malaysia. Officials at 1MDB and others, under the pretense of investing about US$1 billion in a joint venture between 1MDB and PetroSaudi, instead transferred about US$700 million to an account not associated with PetroSaudi, the US Justice Department alleged in a 2016 seizure order.
(May 2): Swiss prosecutors widened their probe into allegations of corruption at Malaysian development fund 1MDB, opening criminal proceedings to look into two officials of Saudi Arabian oil producer PetroSaudi who were allegedly tied to the affair.
The investigation into the pair on suspicion of criminal mismanagement, fraud, bribery and aggravated money laundering began in November 2017 but “certain measures taken against the two officials and a risk of collusion” prevented the Swiss Attorney General’s office from disclosing the news, it said Tuesday in an email. The probe into the Petrosaudi International employees was reported earlier by the Financial Times.
