Najib is Malaysian Official 1 (MO1), says Rahman Dahlan (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has confirmed that "Malaysian Official 1" (MO1) is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
"I've said it openly. Obviously if you read the documents, it is the prime minister," Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying by British media network BBC in an article published on its website on Thursday.
Abdul Rahman, who is also the Barisan Nasional strategic communications director, suggested that the reason Najib was not named in the report was because he was not involved in the investigation.
"But I have also said, why didn't the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) name him by his proper name? That's because he is not part of this investigation.
"There have been other people who are named ... and the DoJ will take this to the courts and the courts will decide," he said.
MO1 is mentioned 36 times in the DoJ civil filing to seize more than US$3.5 billion (RM14.32 billion) in assets allegedly purchased with money embezzled from state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Last Saturday, more than 1,000 participants clad in black and white had marched towards Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur to compel the authorities to identify and reveal the identity of MO1.
The rally, dubbed #TangkapMO1, was organised by a coalition of student and youth groups and received support from electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0, opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan's Youth wing, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), C4, Lawyers for Liberty, Persatuan Hak Asasi Manusia Kebangsaan (Hakam), Sisters in Islam (SIS), Empower and Ikram Malaysia.
Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah had in August confirmed that a fifth instalment of its street protest was on its way, with the date yet to be fixed.