Trio arrested to investigate leaks in 1MDB probe, says Zahid

The three officers detained in relation to the 1MDB investigations were brought in to determine how information on the probe was leaked out, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. – The Malaysian Insider/Najjua Zulkefli, August 2, 2015.

The three officers detained in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investigations were brought in to determine how information on the probe was leaked out, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said police were serious about getting to the bottom of the leaks, the contents of which had been circulated to whistleblower website Sarawak Report and the social media.

The government was taking the leaks seriously as information on the 1MDB investigation was being used to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Zahid said.

“We take these leaks seriously and the police will investigate them professionally. We want to determine how the information was leaked.

“Whether it came from the MACC, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara or the police itself,” Zahid told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Zahid said the trio were brought in to help determine how those leaks occurred.

The three were Tan Sri Rashpal Singh and Jessica Gurmeet Kaur, who are connected to the MACC and a deputy public prosecutor with the AG’s chambers.

Rashpal and Jessica were released last night.

The AG’s chambers DPP, Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairy, remains in custody after being detained yesterday morning.

Zahid said the police would be professional in its probe of the leak.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had said the arrests were made in connection with several police reports against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

He said police were recording statements from the three on allegations made by the UK-based editor and investigations were focused on the leaking of government information that has been "misused" by certain parties.

Sarawak Report has been at the forefront of publishing documents it claimed were sourced from the task force investigating claims that 1MDB-related money was funnelled into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

So far, four people, who had ties to 1MDB and the operations of its subsidiaries, have been arrested by the taskforce.

- TMI