Funds for BN parties did not come from 1MDB, says Najib

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak insists that the millions of ringgit channelled from his bank accounts to BN parties in the past were not from 1MDB.

"This (matter) is subject to investigations. It cannot be said that they are 1MDB funds to begin with.

"The source of funds has to be established very clearly. Let it be in the hands of the investigators. We don't want to pre-empt whatever the findings may be," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

Najib was asked to respond to allegations that RM470 million had flown from his bank accounts to Umno and other BN parties between 2011 and 2013.

This was laid out in detail by Malaysiakini in a special report.

When asked if the money would be returned should investigators establish that the money indeed originated from 1MDB, Najib reiterated that the funds were not from troubled state-owned company.

"It is not from 1MDB funds because my conscience is clear. When we issued the cheques, we were very clear that it didn't come from 1MDB.

"I would not have issued the cheques if it came from 1MDB," he said.

In its special report, Malaysiakini detailed how Umno was the main financial beneficiary of funds from Najib’s account in the stated period, raking in RM417.4 million.

Previously, Najib had told Malaysikini in an exclusive interview that the US$681 million transferred into his personal bank account was a donation from Saudi Arabia, and not funds misappropriated from 1MDB, as alleged by the US.

Najib said he had been given assurances from the late Saudi ruler, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud, that the country would be sending a donation.

"All I knew, I accepted at face value that this is coming from the Saudis, from King Abdullah at his behest, at his instruction," Najib said.

A large number of local and state chapters of current and former BN component parties have claimed that their accounts have been frozen since Pakatan Harapan came into federal power.

Following this, the newly established 1MDB taskforce had confirmed that 408 bank accounts were frozen in order to facilitate investigations. -Mkini