Recordings appear to show Malaysia’s ex-premier Najib manipulating probes into state fund fraud but are likely inadmissible in court
Malaysia’s criminally charged ex-premier Najib Razak admitted he was “shocked” when anti-graft investigators last week released explosive audio recordings of private discussions he had with several prominent public personalities, the latest twist in the multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) recently made public nine recordings of telephone conversations taped between January and July 2016, which the agency claims constitute attempts by the then premier to manipulate investigations into 1MDB and conceal other fraudulent acts linked to the alleged mass pilfering of public funds.
While captivating the Malaysian public and setting social media ablaze with memes, the recent disclosures divided legal experts with some claiming the anti-corruption agency’s decision to publicly release the recordings constituted a breach of legal ethics, sparking debate about privacy rights and laws permitting surveillance in Malaysia.
The bombshell recordings, which MACC chief Latheefa Koya said were verified by forensics experts, were of separate telephone calls between Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, United Arab Emirates’ crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and then-senior deputy public prosecutor Dzulkifli Ahmad.
Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
Malaysia’s criminally charged ex-premier Najib Razak admitted he was “shocked” when anti-graft investigators last week released explosive audio recordings of private discussions he had with several prominent public personalities, the latest twist in the multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) recently made public nine recordings of telephone conversations taped between January and July 2016, which the agency claims constitute attempts by the then premier to manipulate investigations into 1MDB and conceal other fraudulent acts linked to the alleged mass pilfering of public funds.
While captivating the Malaysian public and setting social media ablaze with memes, the recent disclosures divided legal experts with some claiming the anti-corruption agency’s decision to publicly release the recordings constituted a breach of legal ethics, sparking debate about privacy rights and laws permitting surveillance in Malaysia.
The bombshell recordings, which MACC chief Latheefa Koya said were verified by forensics experts, were of separate telephone calls between Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, United Arab Emirates’ crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and then-senior deputy public prosecutor Dzulkifli Ahmad.
Read the full story at Asia Times.
