KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — DAP MP Tony Pua cast doubt today on Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s claim that not one sen from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) had been involved in the transfer of RM2.6 billion into Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s accounts, pointing out that the matter was still under investigation.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP asked Zahid to explain how he had arrived at such a conclusion when SRC International Sdn Bhd, a Finance Ministry-owned firm currently under probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), is funded entirely by a RM4 billion loan from KWAP.
He reminded the Umno vice-president that SRC International had been named last month in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Sarawak Report (SR) as the source of RM42 million worth of deposits that investigators scrutinising 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) financials reportedly traced to Najib’s accounts.
“If ‘not a single sen’ of KWAP funds went into Najib Razak’s account, why is the MACC investigating SRC International?
“If Zahid is so certain that none of the monies deposited into the prime minister’s account came from SRC International, which took a RM4 billion loan from KWAP, why didn’t Najib Razak sue both The Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report for defamation?” Pua asked in a statement this morning.
Both publications had exposed the money trail on the nearly US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) worth of deposits that investigators discovered were channelled into the prime minister’s accounts.
Of the RM2.6 billion, RM42 million is believed to have originated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB that is currently parked under the Finance Ministry that Najib heads.
According to the reports, SRC International allegedly transferred RM40 million to Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd on December 14, 2014, which the firm transferred the same day to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.
Ihsan Perdana, in turn, transferred the money via two transactions of RM27 million and RM5 million directly into the prime minister’s two different personal accounts in Ambank.
SRC International then transferred another RM5 million to Gandingan Mentari, which later moved the funds to Ihsan Perdana. The latter company then transferred RM10 million to Najib’s accounts on February 10 this year.
“The fact of the matter is, Najib never once over the past 7 weeks denied that he received the above funds alleged by The Wall Street Journal,” Pua pointed out today.
He acknowledged that the MACC had confirmed that the RM2.6 billion had been a donation from the Middle East but pointed out that the agency had also said it was still investigating SRC International.
Even more interesting, Pua said, is the fact that the monies from SRC International were only allegedly moved to Najib’s accounts last year and this year, which meant they were transferred well after Election 2013.
This again pokes holes in Zahid’s claim yesterday that the funds from the Middle Eastern donor were meant to help Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) win the elections, the lawmaker said.
“Hence how did the new deputy prime minister come to the conclusion that his superior never received a sen from SRC International, which is funded entirely with the RM4 billion loan from KWAP, guaranteed by the Federal Government?
“Therefore, is Zahid now lying not only to Malaysians but even to Umno members just to help his under-sieged prime minister to stay in power, as a reward for promoting him to be the heir to the premiership?” he asked.
At the Sri Gading Umno divisional meeting yesterday, Zahid claimed he had met with the representatives of the mysterious Arab donor behind the RM2.6 billion and said he was told the funds were donated to help Umno fight “Jewish-backed” DAP during the polls and was also as a sign of thanks for Malaysia’s efforts in fighting terrorism.
