Probe Zeti over 1MDB funds, says Wong Chen

 

Tawfiq Ayman (left), who is married to former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, was previously questioned by police in connection with 1MDB funds. There has been no update on the probe.

PETALING JAYA: Subang MP Wong Chen of PKR has called for investigations into former central bank chief Zeti Akhtar Aziz after it was confirmed that RM65 million of 1MDB-linked funds were held by a company belonging to her husband.

Wong said that under Zeti’s watch as governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank failed to carry out its fiduciary duty to alert and report the illicit movement of billions of 1MDB money.

If Zeti had done her job without fear or favour, the scandal could have been stopped and contained, he said.

“There is no doubt that MACC (the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and Bank Negara need to fully investigate Zeti,” he told FMT.

“The revelation that her husband had received RM65 million of 1MDB money raises a fundamental question whether the failure to make these reports were caused by political pressure or by conflict of interest.”

Wong said stern action must be taken so that in future, senior civil servants will be deterred from colluding and “closing an eye to scandals perpetrated by people in power”.

The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism said while it was “aghast” at the news report it was not in the least bit surprised.

Its executive director Cynthia Gabriel told FMT that Zeti must break her “pregnant silence” and answer the people over the serious conflict of interest issues she was accused of.

“It’s a crying shame that she chose to keep silent all this while. She even went on to accept the appointment into the council of eminent persons when Pakatan Harapan came to power.”

On Friday, MACC said it had managed to recover assets and funds linked to 1MDB amounting to RM20.5 billion to date.

The sum included the return of assets amounting to US$15.4 million (RM64.4 million) involving the accounts of Cutting Edge Industries Ltd, a company owned by Tawfiq Ayman and Samuel Goh.

Tawfiq is married to Zeti, who is a witness in the corruption trial of former prime minister Najib Razak on charges related to 1MDB.

Tawfiq had previously been questioned by police in connection with 1MDB funds. There has been no update on the investigation. - FMT