KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang dismissed today a minister’s guarantee of independence in a government investigation on a suspicious US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) money transfer from out of debt-riddled 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The DAP parliamentary leader said the assurance was “far-fetched” as the four federal agencies on the special task force are headed by civil servants who ultimately report not to the Cabinet, but to one person, the prime minister, who has been personally linked to the ongoing investigation.
“Khairy’s claim that ministers will ensure that investigations are conducted ‘without fear or favour’ is completely far-fetched and not worthy of any belief as the Cabinet ministers have absolutely no powers determining its establishment, composition and scope inquiry,” he said today, referring to Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Lim demanded the ministers answer if the investigation would still be considered conflict-free when the prime minister, who is at the centre of the probe, still holds the authority to “dictate the ‘scope’ of the investigations”.
The Gelang Patah MP said Malaysians wanted a fully independent panel to investigate the financial scandal as reported by US-based Wall Street Journal last week, claiming that it was impossible if the investigators were still government servants.
He claimed the special task force’s position to be compromised from the get-go after the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the police both announced they will be going after those who leaked confidential government information relating to the ongoing investigation instead of the allegations in the report.
“If the WSJ report leads to the exposé of the first prime ministerial misconduct and largest financial scandal in the nation’s history, those who leaked the documents highlighting to the public the enormity of the financial scandal and criminal breach of trust deserve national recognition, gratitude and honours, and not harassment and persecution!” Lim said.
In a report last Friday, WSJ claimed that a money trail showed that US$700 million was moved among government agencies, banks and companies before it ended up in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal accounts.
This week, six bank accounts were frozen and 17 documents were seized over the alleged money trail, but reports said none of these were linked to Najib.
Najib has denied taking funds from 1MDB for “personal gain” and his lawyers have since asked the WSJ to state if the newspaper is accusing the prime minister of misappropriating funds.
