KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — A much-hyped Australian news broadcast has confirmed the prime minister to be right concerning the foreign fund transfers as a cash gift from the Saudi Arabia royal family, a government official said today.
The official was responding to sceptics within the country who have been pressuring Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clarify questions surrounding foreign cash transfers into his private accounts dating back to 2013.
“The Four Corners report confirms what the Prime Minister has maintained all along, and what multiple lawful authorities concluded after exhaustive investigations: the funds were a donation from the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia,” the unnamed government spokesman said in a statement.
He pointed out that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s investigative programme shown recently included forensic examination of every wire transfer, adding that Malaysian authorities also travelled to Saudi Arabia to verify the documents and interview the royal family members involved in the transaction.
“As the leaked letter from Saudi Arabia states, the donation was a gift to the Prime Minister for promoting moderate Islam, and his leadership in combating terrorism and extremism – such as by launching his Global Movement of the Moderates initiative.
“The letter makes clear that the gift was to be used as the Prime Minister saw fit; would be transferred directly or through the donor’s companies; and no benefit was expected in return,” the official said.
