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Malaysian leader faces risk of criminal charge over funds

In this May 14, 2015 photo, construction workers chat in front of a billboard for state investment fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at the fund's flagship Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia's state investment fund 1MDB says it has never provided any funds to Prime Minister Najib Razak, denying reports that entities linked to the fund had funneled $700 million ($2.6 billion) into Najib's personal accounts. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul) In this May 14, 2015 photo, construction workers chat in front of a billboard for state investment fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at the fund's flagship Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia's state investment fund 1MDB says it has never provided any funds to Prime Minister Najib Razak, denying reports that entities linked to the fund had funneled $700 million ($2.6 billion) into Najib's personal accounts. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)

By Associated Press July 5, 2015 1 min read

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Malaysia’s leader is facing the risk of a criminal charge over allegations that millions of dollars were funneled from an indebted state fund to his personal bank accounts.

The attorney general confirmed late Saturday he has received documents from an official investigation that made the link between Prime Minister Najib Razak and the investment fund 1MDB. The existence of the documents was first reported by the Asian Wall Street Journal on Friday, showing some $700 million were wired from entities linked to the fund into Najib’s accounts.

The documents sent to the attorney general pave the way for possible criminal charges.

This is the first time a Malaysian leader faces criminal allegations, and mark the worst political crisis for Najib, who has come under increasing criticism over his leadership.