1MDB-Najib probe: 3 MPs say ‘no’ to 4 Tan Sris on task force

IGP, AG, MACC chief and BNM governor will find it difficult to investigate their boss, say opposition MPs.

KUALA LUMPUR: Khalid Abu Bakar, Abdul Gani Patail, Abu Kassim Mohamed and Zeti Akhtar Aziz may not be the right candidates to investigate recent allegations by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) regarding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the prime minister, three Opposition MPs have said.

In a joint statement yesterday, Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam) and Lim Lip Eng (Segambut) said, “The ability of the four to conduct an independent investigation is questionable.

Khalid, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP); Gani, the Attorney-General (AG); Kassim, the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC); and Zeti, the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, head the task force to investigate the WSJ allegations that USD700 million from 1MDB-linked companies had found its way into the private bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Saying that the four are “subordinates” of Najib, the key personality under investigation, the three MPs said there was no possible way an independent probe could be conducted.

They also said Najib was still carrying out the duties of the government as prime minister and finance minister, a report in The Rakyat Post said.

For the sake of transparency, and to safeguard the name of the prime minister, the four Tan Sris must be replaced, Lim said, adding, “Hence, if the special task force remains, we are sure Malaysians will find it hard to accept the outcome of the investigation, more so if it vindicates the prime minister from any allegations of wrongdoing.”

He also said, “We also believe the four Tan Sris will have no problems allowing a Royal Commission of Inquiry to take over the investigations.”