80 1MDB fund recipients, including Nazir and former ministers, get compound notice from MACC

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 7): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has issued compound notices to 80 individuals and entities believed to have received funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) totalling up to RM420 million.

Among the notable individuals listed are former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's brother Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, former Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Specifically, the MACC is seeking RM25.7 million from Nazir alone, which is the highest compound for an individual listed. The highest compound for an entity was for Solar Shine Sdn Bhd.

During Najib's SRC trial in April, the prosecution's 22nd witness Datuk Lew Choon Lai testified that his company Solar Shine, established in 2010, was paid RM1 million by Najib to promote the 1Malaysia campaign nationwide to the non-Malays. It mainly provided goodie bags containing daily necessities to be distributed to ethnic Indians in rural areas and elderly ethnic Chinese in residential areas while promoting the 1Malaysia concept to them.

In a press conference today, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said the compound issued to the individuals and entities may be as low as the amount that they received from 1MDB to as high as 2.5 times of that amount.

"We have issued compound notices against all of these entities and individuals for the purpose of them to pay up the fine. We have opened up investigation papers for all these individuals (and entities) — there are 80 of them — and we hope that by the time they receive this compound notice, they will take it seriously and pay up.

"Our investigation will show that these monies that they have received — that we are now seeking back by way of compound — are monies from 1MDB. They belong to the Malaysian public," she told reporters here today.

Latheefa added that the entities and individuals listed are given two weeks from the notice date to serve the compound, failing which the MACC will use its full authority of the power granted within the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA), to take the necessary action.

Under Section 92 of AMLA, Latheefa explained that the individuals involved may be prosecuted if they do not pay the fine within the stipulated time.

The compound notices are being sent today, after MACC received the consent by the Attorney General to do so.

On June 21, MACC had filed a civil forfeiture suit against 41 entities and individuals in a bid to recover funds amounting to RM270 million which were allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. It was revealed that some RM212 million of the total RM270 million will be recovered from Umno-related entities.

At the time, Latheefa said the commission has so far recovered some RM2 million of the funds which were surrendered voluntarily by some of the parties involved.

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