Riza Aziz grilled by MACC for 9 hours

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz was today questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for some nine hours in relation to his alleged involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
The film producer, 48, first arrived at the anti-graft agency's headquarters around 1.30pm in a silver Kia Sorento, donning a black suit and yellow polo t-shirt.
He was accompanied by his team of lawyers led by Datuk K. Kumaraendran, who is also in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's defence team.
Riza did not speak to the media upon his arrival, and headed straight into the building complex, where he gave his statement.
He was later seen leaving the complex at 10.30pm in the same vehicle he arrived in, with over 100 media personnel camped outside hoping to get a comment from him.
Riza, who is the co-founder of Los Angeles-based film production company Red Granite Pictures, is Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's son from her first marriage.
He became the centre of controversy in the 1MDB case when he was implicated by the US Department of Justice for allegedly siphoning hundreds of millions of ringgit to fund the steamy Hollywood movie The Wolf of Wall Street and two other films.
It was reported that the producer had agreed to pay the US government US$60 million (RM243 million) to settle a civil lawsuit that sought to seize assets allegedly bought with money stolen from a Malaysian state fund.
Riza is also believed to be a close friend of fugitive Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, the number one person-of-interest in the 1MDB probe.
Previously, Najib had on two separate occasions appeared at MACC for questioning into the 1MDB scandal in May, while Rosmah also had her statement recorded about a month ago.
Meanwhile, some 50 Najib supporters also made their way to the MACC headquarters for a candle-light vigil last night, where Najib was being held before being charged today, in solidarity of the former prime minister.