Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said it was impossible for former premier Najib Razak to be unaware of the transactions involving state fund 1MDB as he had claimed as his signature was all over the related documents, Malay Mail reported.
“Who wants to believe him that he didn’t know, when he signed [his name]? Every bit of money that goes in and out of the first borrowing of RM42 billion, all his signature,” Mahathir told the Malaysia news site. “If he doesn’t know, it must be that he doesn’t understand what a signature means.”
In an interview with Reuters earlier, Najib denied any knowledge of the embezzlement and blamed his advisers and the 1MDB board for not informing him about it.
Najib claimed he was unaware that the money moved through his personal account was from 1MDB, and if it was laundered to buy assets which included yachts, paintings, jewellery, and real estate.
“We have all those. We know how much money goes into his account,” Mahathir commented, referring to the documents proving Najib’s involvement in moving the money.
“Najib always assumes that people are stupid,” Mahathir was quoted by Malay Mail as saying.
Mahathir had earlier this week told Reuters that the authorities have “an almost perfect case” against Najib to charge him of embezzlement, misappropriation and bribery.
Dr Mahathir told Malay Mail that it is ludicrous for someone to direct RM2 billion to be transferred into his account, but at the same time refusing to be informed of the transaction.
He was referring to the around US$700 million that was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB into Najib’s account, as detailed by the US Department of Justice’s anti-kleptocracy probe.
