Malyasia govt confirms arrest of former PM Najib Razak in corruption case; investigators question stepson Riza Aziz

Putrajaya: The Latest on a corruption scandal involving former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (local time) 5.10 pm: Malaysian government investigators have confirmed the arrest of former prime minister and say he will be charged in court on Wednesday. Investigators on a government task force investigating alleged theft and money laundering at the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state investment fund said Najib’s arrest on Tuesday was linked to the anti-graft agency’s probe into 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) that was transferred into Najib’s bank account from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, using multiple intermediary companies. [caption id=“attachment_2540588” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Najib Razak. AFP[/caption] It didn’t give details of the charges against Najib. 4.55 pm: A government official and an aide to former Malaysian prime minister said Najib has been arrested by anti-graft officials. Najib’s arrest comes nearly two months after his coalition’s shocking defeat in 9 May general elections. The official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Najib was picked up from his house on Tuesday and is being brought to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s headquarters, and that the agency will issue a statement soon. The aide, who declined to be named, confirmed his arrest. 4.40 pm: Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is questioning Riza Aziz, the stepson of Nazib and a Hollywood film producer, as part of probe into alleged theft and money-laundering at the 1MDB state investment fund. Alleged corruption at the 1MDB fund helped bring on the unexpected defeat of Najib’s coalition in 9 May polls. The new government reopened investigations that were stifled while Najib was in office. Riza was solemn as he arrived at the anti-graft office on Tuesday and didn’t speak to reporters. US investigators said Riza’s company, Red Granite Pictures Inc., used money stolen from 1MDB to finance Hollywood films including the Martin Scorsese-directed “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Red Granite agreed in March to pay the US government $60 million to settle claims it benefited from the 1MDB scandal.