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SUNGAI BESAR 18 JUNE 2016. Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ketika berucap pada kemenangan BN di PRK Sungai Besar, bersama Naib Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein dan pemenang PRK Sungai Besar, Budiman Mohd Zohdi mengibarkan bendera Barisan Nasional di Bangunan Umno Bahagian Sungai Besar. NSTP/ROSLIN MAT TAHIR
Up to RM1.1 billion (about 9 billion baht) worth of cash, jewellery, luxury handbags and watches, as well as sunglasses have been seized from residences and offices linked to former Malaysian prime minister Najib Tun Razak in the ongoing investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), making it the biggest seizure in Malaysian history, according to The Star newspaper.
But speaking to on-line news website Malaysiakini the former premier insisted that the items are mainly gifts and some others were purchased. He also said his wife doesn’t believe the valuation will come up to that amount.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Amar Singh said the collective value of the items seized was estimated at between RM900mil and RM1.1bil, the paper reported.
“Of course we are shocked. I think this is the biggest seizure in the country’s history,” he told reporters at the CCID headquarters yesterday.
“They include Seri Perdana, an office (in Putrajaya), three units at Pavillion Residences and his (Najib) personal home in Langgak Duta,” Comm Amar said.
He added that more than 12,000 pieces of jewellery, including 2,200 rings, 1,400 necklaces, 2,100 bracelets, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras, were among the items seized.
“The most expensive item is a yellow and brown diamond necklace, which has a value of at least RM6.4 million (52 million baht), “ he said.
He also said the items included 423 watches worth RM78mil, including the most expensive one, a Rolex Paul Newman Daytona worth about RM3.5mil.
There were also 234 sunglasses worth RM374,000, including luxury brands Versace and Cartier, Comm Amar said.
Police also seized 567 handbags made up of 37 luxury brands with an estimated value of RM51.3mil.
“We recovered 567 handbags, but we only managed to ascertain the value of 272 Hermes bags at RM51.3mil,” he was quoted by the Star as saying.
“There are also other brands, including Prada, Chanel, Judith Leiber, Versace and Bijan (a brand that can only be made to order).
“We need some time to determine the value of the remaining handbags as we need experts from various fields to come in and value them,” he said.
A total of RM116mil in cash in 26 different denominations were also seized, he added.
He said the police were in the process of determining whether some of the items were presented to Najib as gifts.