KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Malaysian opposition lawmakers urged the central bank Thursday to reopen its investigation into indebted state investment fund 1MDB that is being probed in several countries for money laundering and implicating Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Some 30 lawmakers staged a protest march from Parliament to the central bank, holding up a banner that read “Love Malaysia, hate kleptocracy.” Opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the central bank must reopen its probe based on evidence in the U.S. court filing.
The 1MDB fund has been at the center of investigations in the U.S. and several countries amid allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme. Najib started the fund shortly after taking office in 2009 to promote economic development projects but the fund accumulated billions in debts over the years.
The U.S. Justice Department says at least $3.5 billion has been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Najib and has initiated action to seize $1.3 billion it says was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S. The government complaints also say that more than $700 million has landed in the accounts of “Malaysian Official 1.” They did not name the official, but appear to be referring to Najib.
The central bank “must be neutral and cannot protect any parties,” Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said.