Mahathir: S’pore explain RM2b unfreezing in 2013, but account freezed in 2015?

January 27, 2016

I refer to the article “DR M DARE TO HSIEN LOONG: HAS S’PORE BECOME A MONEY-LAUNDERING HUB? TELL THE WORLD HOW YOU CAN UNFREEZE NAJIB’S RM2.6BIL & SEND IT BACK TO SAUDI” (Malaysia Chronicle, Jan 27).

It states that “Dr Mahathir Mohamad has roped Singapore into the RM2.6 billion donation issue after the attorney-general cleared Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of any wrongdoing.

In a blog posting, the former prime minister noted how attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali said that Najib had returned RM2.03 billion back to the Saudi royal family in August 2013.

“How and when was this done?

“We are told the balance is frozen by Singapore. Can Singapore explain the unfreezing and the delivery back to the Saudis?

“Or does Singapore also believe in the free gift story, the letter and the Saudi admission?

“Singapore is a financial centre. Can it be so gullible?” Mahathir asked.

On July 22 last year, Reuters reported that Singapore police had frozen two bank accounts in connection with an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement and corruption at 1MDB.

“On July 15, 2015, we issued orders under the Criminal Procedure Code to prohibit any dealings in respect of money in two bank accounts that are relevant to the investigation,” Singapore police had said in a statement.

However, the police did not identify the banks or the accounts in question because the investigation was still ongoing.

International news organisations have published conflicting versions of this donation issue, with an unnamed source telling BBC the money came from the late Saudi monarch, King Abdullah.

However, The Wall Street Journal in its report says that the Saudi Arabian ministries of finance and foreign affairs were in the dark. – M’kini”.

I think arguably – there may be something not quite right with the way that the question is being asked.

If it is indeed the case that “had returned RM2.03 billion back to the Saudi royal family in August 2013” – how to “explain the unfreezing and the delivery back to the Saudis (in August 2013)” – when the account was only frozen more than a year later on 15 July 2015?

Leong Sze Hian

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About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.