Najib finds he can pay his bills again

A personal bank account of the former prime minister, frozen in the wake of investigations into him, is suddenly accessible again.

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who said he was unable to pay personal expenses after his bank account was frozen.

KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities yesterday unfroze a personal bank account of Najib Razak, a source close to the former prime minister says.

But it said the move was done “quietly”, in contrast to the publicity that greeted the action against Najib in the wake of investigations into him.

“The fact that they quietly unfroze the account indicates that they had wrongly frozen the account in the first place,” the source told FMT.

It is understood that the bank account was used by Najib to pay bills and family expenses.

Last week, Najib complained that a bank account which he used to receive his pension as the former menteri besar of Pahang, as well as his MP’s salary, had been frozen, making it difficult for him to pay personal expenses including helping his daughter who is undergoing cancer treatment.

“This account has nothing to do with politics. It has nothing to do with matters relating to the investigation by the authorities,” he said.

Early this month, Najib was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power involving RM42 million linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary.

Speaking to FMT, the source close to Najib questioned the release of his bank account on the first day of the Dewan Rakyat, when MPs from both sides gathered for the first time since the May 9 polls to take their oath.

“There is more going on here than meets the eye,” it added.

It said Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government made “a big song and dance” when it told Najib’s lawyers to appeal to the authorities to unfreeze his account and those of his family members.

“Yet now they have quietly unfrozen his account,” the source said.

“They should apologise rather than taking such secretive action and hoping that no one would notice.” - FMT