A government task force investigating a Malaysian state-owned investment fund seized documents from its offices Wednesday after a probe allegedly found hundreds of millions of dollars in the prime minister's personal bank accounts. "We can confirm that a number of officials from the Task Force, conducting an enquiry into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), visited our offices today," it said in a statement.
"They were provided with a number of documents and materials to aid with the investigations currently taking place," 1MDB added. Police vehicles were seen outside the 1MDB building located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's business district, while entry to the offices was restricted. After almost six hours, task force officials emerged from the 1MDB offices with computer equipment which was loaded onto a police vehicle. Malaysian police could not be reached for comment. The Wall Street Journal reported on July 3 that a probe had allegedly discovered nearly $700 million moved through government agencies, banks and companies linked to 1MDB before ending up in Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal accounts. Najib himself dismissed the WSJ report as "political sabotage" and threatened possible legal action, while 1MDB denied any wrongdoing and said it had not transferred any funds to the premier. Both Najib and 1MDB have also said that previously leaked documents had "reportedly" been tampered with, and that the documents cited by the WSJ had not been verified.
1MDB was launched in 2009 by Najib, who still chairs its advisory board. Critics say it has been opaque in explaining its dealings. It is reeling under an estimated $11 billion debt, which has weighed on the ringgit currency amid allegations of mismanagement and murky overseas transactions.
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