Witnesses to the alleged siphoning of billions of dollars from Malaysia Development Bhd are too scared to talk to U.S. investigators.
Citing fear for their own safety and of possible retaliation, individuals who would otherwise be willing to provide information have told the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) they are worried about putting the safety and security of both themselves and their families at serious risk.
The Justice Department last month asked a judge to put on hold a dozen-plus civil forfeiture lawsuits seeking more than $1 billion in assets in the U.S., the U.K. and Switzerland while it conducts a criminal investigation.
Possible Intimidation
The targeted assets were acquired by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low; Riza Aziz, a stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak; and Khadem al Qubaisi, the former managing director of Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company.
Media company «Bloomberg» reports that the U.S. investigator backed up their case referencing recent Malaysian news reports of local officials who have been arrested because of their purported role in investigating the 1MDB embezzlement.
The FBI said as recently as August 30, Malaysian media reported that the driver of former Malaysian Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail was shot and wounded as a possible warning to the former prosecutor not to cooperate with the U.S. authorities.
Global Reach
The U.S. investigation is one part of a global effort that also includes Switzerland, Singapore and Luxembourg as they try to track how much of the $6 billion that 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) raised for development projects was embezzled or laundered.
Singapore's regulator has been the most proactive so far, going after both local and international banks as well as jailing bankers with ties to the tainted fund.
