UPDATE: Najib detained over RM2.6bn in personal bank account, says MACC

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 19): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pictured) at their headquarters at 4.13pm today over the RM2.6 billion sum that had appeared in his personal bank account, it said in a statement today.

The commission said he will face charges under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act after receiving permission from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

He will be taken to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow (Sept 20) at 3pm where he will be read the charges.

"The MACC will also work with the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) to record the conversation between Najib before he was brought to court tomorrow to assist the police investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Prevention of Terrorism Financing and Revenue from Illegal Activities (AMLATFPUAA) 2001," it added.

Earlier reports by several portals said the former premier was being interrogated by the commission and expected to face new charges.

According to a report by the news portal Free Malaysia Today, Najib could be quizzed by MACC “over hundreds of cheques – some 700 pieces according to one source – which he allegedly issued using money from 1MDB”.

The Malay Mail, meanwhile, reported based on a source that MACC is expected to slap fresh charges against the former prime minister tomorrow over a questionable RM2.6 billion donation he received while in office.

The daily said that Najib arrived at MACC’s office in Putrajaya at about 3pm today.

The Malaysiakini news portal reported today that Najib is expected to go to court again to face a number of charges in relation to the 1MDB affair.

A police source told Malaysiakini that the ex-premier could face up six charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amla) “in less than two weeks”.

The news portal reported that “the initial plan was to charge Najib tomorrow” but this was delayed to await an outcome of a meeting between the cops and MACC.  

Another source familiar with Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told Malaysiakini that authorities have notified the latter about the plans to charge his client again.

"The latest will be by next week. The charge will include offences on 'small transactions' allegedly using 1MDB money," the source told Malaysiakini.

Shafee himself is also facing four charges of money laundering involving RM9.5 million that he received from Najib.

It was reported in an exclusive New Straits Times story yesterday that Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor could also soon face charges of money laundering.

Sources have informed the English daily that Rosmah could be “hit with up to 20 criminal charges, mostly linked to alleged money laundering”.  

NST said in its exclusive report that the authorities have “dusted off and resurrected the ‘Rosmah file’ about three months ago, soon after the Barisan Nasional government fell”.