Malaysian leader Najib Razak will finally meet with U.S. president Donald Trump next month. Will the U.S.' hulking investigation of 1MDB come up?
The 1MDB affair has rolled through at least six countries, including Singapore and Switzerland, but in Malaysia, the scandal has barely registered.
Malaysia is a key ally of the U.S., so a visit between the two following the election of Donald Trump makes sense. Prime Minister Najib Razak will visit Trump next month, «The Wall Street Journal» reported, citing sources.
This visit promises to be special: U.S. prosecutors allege that Razak – and his stepson – are tied to 1MDB funds, the newspaper reported, citing lawsuits.
$27 Million Bauble
Razak has to contend with a series of embarrassing allegations tied to 1MBD, including one that his wife, Rosmah Mansor, received a $27 million Fifth Avenue designer diamond necklace bought with 1MDB funds. The newspaper didn't report on whether she would accompany her husband to Washington.
The 1MDB probe recently turned criminal, after nearly two years of civil investigation. The probe has seized assets such as luxury property, a private jet, and fine art.
Najib has apparently lawyered up: the newspaper reported that he has hired a law firm headed by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Najib's stepson Riza Aziz, who is mentioned by name in U.S. documents, has also taken counsel along with his father and his production company.
Golf Buddies
The meeting comes as observers expect Najib to call elections as soon as this year. Najib has boasted of playing golf with Trump previously, and also shared a game with previous leader Barack Obama.
Whether his political coziness will sway justice authorities into slowing or ending the probe is unclear. Current Attorney General Jeff Sessions inherited the investigation from his predecessor, and has said nothing publicly about 1MDB since taking office eight months ago.
Besides 1MDB, Malaysia and the U.S. will be keen to discuss China's expanding influence in the South China Sea.
