"How anyone could conduct a thorough and professional investigation without seeking and obtaining information from primary sources such as 1MDB officials and other relevant authorities, including Malaysian law officers, is something we should all learn from Attorney-General Lynch and her talented and dedicated officers ... It is a modern day wonder." - Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim
No prize for guessing the man behind it all
By Tunku Aziz
KL, 23 July 2016: The filing of civil forfeiture complaints by the United States Department of Justice for the recovery of assets in excess of US$ 1 billion that they believed to have been acquired by persons who had plundered 1MDB, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, sits uneasily with many fair-minded, thinking Malaysians.
The announcement was made by US Attorney-General Lynch in the company of at least four top officials from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service.
The press conference was intended as a display of power and might of the incomparable American justice system which we know from long years of careful observation to be not what they want us to believe.
In the current investigation of the 1MDB related case, we are treated to a demonstration of very rough and ready justice that America is still capable of dispensing.
The frontier tradition is still alive and well under the thin veneer of 21st century USA. There are several features of this filing that intrigue me.
The most obvious to us who have been lectured to by Americans about the rule of law, democracy and natural justice at every turn has been the total absence of communication with 1MDB, the subject of the complaints or allegations that have triggered the FBI investigation, and the attendant hype, upheaval and excitement.
How anyone could conduct a thorough and professional investigation without seeking and obtaining information from primary sources such as 1MDB officials and other relevant authorities, including Malaysian law officers, is something we should all learn from Attorney-General Lynch and her talented and dedicated officers.
It is a modern day wonder.
Given that corruption is a serious crime against the state and society, and assuming in good faith that they have irrefutable evidence that can stand up in their law courts, why have they not pursued the matter under criminal law?
Filing the complaints under civil law would seem a little odd. Surely, they are keen on securing a conviction and sending the wrong doers to jail.
It smells. It somehow does not add up.
It is regrettable that the Americans have chosen to fight their war against cross-border corruption by hiding behind a smokescreen of high-minded moral principles that cannot stand up to close scrutiny.
Yet in the same breath, and stopping just short of naming names, they impute improper motives to our Prime Minister and cast aspersions on his reputation and character, without being able to produce an ounce of proof.
It is worth reminding ourselves that there is absolutely no suggestion in any of the investigations conducted so far by the authorities in Switzerland and Malaysia that Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had stolen anything from 1MDB.
The Public Accounts Committee, comprising Government and Opposition lawmakers, after months of exhaustive investigation and in regular consultations with the Auditor-General recently produced their authoritative report that exonerated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak from all allegations of wrong doing.
In short, the allegations against him were reckless, vindictive and frivolous. In all the circumstances, Datuk Seri Najib is innocent until proven guilty under the law.
What is shocking is that there are many among us who cannot cope with the truth and the truth is that the Prime Minister is innocent until proven guilty.
Tunku Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian corporate figure, activist and politician. He has held numerous roles in the worldwide anti-corruption movement, most prominently, vice-chairman of the board of directors of Transparency International and the former Vice-Chairman of DAP.
p.s. Cheeky headlines, indeed!Tunku Aziz didn't name anyone in his article but I can't help but think of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad! Perhaps because the two old men - Aziz is 82 and Mahathir 91 - have a lot of things in common and yet no love lost between them. In a past era, Mahathir would have lynched Lynch mercilessly for trying to do this kleptocracy thing on Malaysia or Malaysian citizens. Tunku Aziz's lashing here would be so mild compared to what Mahathir would have unleashed upon the Americans and (local politicians and activists who dare support them). We still remember what happened when Washington tried to blame the 1997 financial crisis on nepotism, corruption and cronyism of his Administration ...
Sebagai seorang Muslim, saya teramat malu. Sudah la Islam dikaitkan dengan keganasan. Sekarang Kerajaan Pemerintah Negara Islam-Wasatiah saya dikaitkan pula dengan Kleptocracy. Di perintah oleh segerombolan pencuri? Kabinet Najib pencuri?
ReplyDeleteYang paling saya malu, pemimpin yang dituduh itu pula buat nama Islam lebih dipandang serong, lebihlebih lagi oleh bukan-Islam.
Bila dia tersepit dengan berbagai tuduhan salahlaku mulalah memperagakan pakaiaan keagamaan dan mendekati Agamawan. Beri Zakat pada asnaf dan salur wang untuk bina Masjid dan Surau. Jadi hero pengajian pondok pulak lagi.
Lebih kurang sama, kita lihat dalam TV;-
Gelagat Orang-Kena-Tuduh liwat, rogol anak-kandung, merompak, pembunuh dan lain jenayah keji, memakai ketayap atau tudung, diiringi Polis/warden, naik-turun Mahkamah. Imej & maruah Islam yang pertama sekali terjejas. Pasal itu Agama kita sering dipandang serong, dipersenda dan dihina.
Mana la nak letak muka. Besok-besok nak berucap di PBB atau mewakili Negara ke Persidang antarabangsa di Negara Kafir.....mana nak letak muka?
Aduh...malu.
After the dust has settled, and your backers are ousted, people wont even have time for you. Too much rebuilding needs to be done. So now trying to downplay the suit by saying it was executed based on a complaint. How stupid can you guys be? The whole report is online. It is no complaint. Unlike some dumb bloggers from 3rd world country who shit kacang dal in the afternoon, these pikes have done their homework. And you still cant write without word.
ReplyDeleteHow to proved Najib is innocent ? any brilliant idea Dato ? I can only see the court of law is the best avenue for him to do so.Problem is h is trying very hard and keep on avoiding from entering the court to testify. what is he afraid off ?
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of meeting the late Barry Wain on more than one occasion during my trips to KL and Singapore. Barry and I had mutual friends both having been in the media and in the state owned or funded media in Australia and he had significant amounts of information on Dr. Mahathir from admissions Mahathir and his friends made about their time in office. I was privy to much of that information over time knowing where to look and who to ask and whilst I accept that in the cut and thrust of politics many a slip is made (either deliberately or by circumstance) there was more than deception and outright hypocrisy on the part of Dr. Mahathir. Not that Anwar or the opposition in general are or were any better. But thats for another day
ReplyDeleteDr. Mahathir was less than candid about his involvement and his grovelling behind the Neo Cons and Washington in general. I love to lash out and to be provocative in an effort to smoke these serpents out off their hole in the hope they will sue.
What Washington has done in its handling of the 1MDB matter (in which I still say they have no valid jurisdiction) is shameful, precipitous, provocative and highly irregular.
The Tengku's comments are right on the mark.
Gopal Raj Kumar
Why fight for Jho Low,Reza and the two untas? Are they a very important UMNO members? MT UMNO? Let the US legal process moves on lah..Najib should be happily support the DOJ who's trying to get some monies from the damned 4 for Malaysia...
ReplyDeleteDuhhh.... doesnt he knows there is such thing as money trail in computer network...there is such thing as telephone transcript that can be extracted out between 1mdb officer and the bank officer, there is such thing as email content can be extracted out from the servers...... ooo mungkin tunku aziz ni yg ketinggalan zaman dlm cara teknologi penyiasatan dilakukan skrg....
ReplyDeleteThe mondern day wonder is actually - why this Aziz guy is defending Jho Low? Anak dia ke?
ReplyDeleteBro I've always admire you for being fair in your view. You always call a spade, a spade. Writers like you are very important in making Malaysia a great country.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, in Najib's case you have somewhat made up your mind that no wrong was done in both RM2.6B and 1MDB issues. This is despite numerous facts that emerged since the circus started.
Very unfortunately indeed.
(Utusan) Senarai DOJ: Bersihkan nama masing-masing - Najib
ReplyDelete(Utusan) Pastikan wang rakyat tidak disalahgunakan - PM
(Mkini) PM says truth will surface eventually, those implicated must clear their names
Betul2 muka seposen..hipokrit..Najib has also to clear his name for who is Malaysia Official 1. If he clean, why worry about Auditor General report on 1mdb?? and put it into OSA??
For God's sake Rocky, let the donor declares himself and speak out to close this craziness. God will understand.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteQuestions for Apandi from Tun:
"11.Para 41 explained that Jho Low and his associates caused $700 million of the 1 billion meant to be invested in Petro Saudi, to be sent to an account at RBS Coutts Bank in Zurich held in the name of Good Star Ltd, a company owned by Jho Low.
12.Para 42 states that “between May and Oct 2011, approximately $330 million in additional funds were wired at the direction of 1MDB official to the Good Star account purportedly in connection with a financing agreements between 1MDB and 1MDB – Petro Saudi JV.
13.Perhaps the Malaysian A.G. can explain why 1MDB investments of $1 billion should go into the account of Good Star in RBS Coutts Bank in Zurich. Or is he going to deny that this happened? In that case he should show proofs that it did not happen. Merely saying it is not true is not enough. The A.G.’s words have no credibility at all. His claims that there is no evidence of Najib’s wrongdoing in all the reports submitted to him is about as credible as a crocodile shedding tears. AG’s claim that Najib gave back RM 2.3 billion of the RM 2.6 billion given by the dead King of Saudi Arabia is just as incredible. No transfer documents and no receipts have been exhibited."
Good questions, no answers.
Mr G R Kumar
ReplyDeleteNo "valid jurisdiction"?
Even if the alleged transactions involved US banks and took place in the US?
The mind boggles....
Incidentally, why would they to sue a 'bit player' such as yourself?
You seem to have an overwhelmingly inflated opinion of your strategic importance in the scheme of things.