PMO: Its political sabotage
PETALING JAYA: Claims that funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad were transferred to the personal accounts of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is an act of political sabotage, said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement issued today.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the Sarawak Report had reported today that "unnamed" Malaysian investigators have traced nearly US$700 million of deposits into what they believe are the personal bank accounts of Najib.
Citing documents from a government probe, which both the international financial newspaper and whistleblower website Sarawak Report have obtained, WSJ said the investigation documents mark the first time Najib has been directly connected to investigations into the state investment fund
"It has been reported that criminal leaking of documents, doctoring and extortion has taken place to mislead the media and public. So it is incumbent on responsible members of the media not to accept documents as genuine unless verified by the appropriate authorities," the PMO said in the statement released this afternoon.
According to the statement, despite Najib's successful stewardship of Malaysia's economy against global headwinds, as recognised this week by ratings agency Fitch's upgrade, there have been concerted efforts by certain individuals to undermine confidence in the country's economy, tarnish the government, and remove a democratically elected prime minister.
The PMO added that it must be noted that 1MDB has already stated that the company never provided funds to Najib, as per their statement released earlier today.