Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may be arrested if foreign countries investigate him for alleged money laundering. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 20, 2015.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has drawn a grim picture on the possibility of Datuk Seri Najib Razak being arrested by Interpol if foreign countries investigate the prime minister for alleged money laundering.
“He could also be arrested if he left the country. So he has to remain here, like how he withdrew the passports of some people and barred them from going overseas,” the statesman said in a video uploaded on the blog “Din Turtle”.
The longest-serving prime minister said this during a meeting with Kumpulan Melayu Berani Bersatu at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur on Friday afternoon.
Dr Mahathir said domestic laws were applicable only if crimes were committed locally.
"But if a crime has some connection with a foreign country, that nation has power (to investigate and prosecute)," he said.
Dr Mahathir cited the fate of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir who is now wanted by International Criminal Court to stand trial on various charges such as the genocide in Darfur.
The United Nations says the court’s warrant for Omar must be implemented by countries who have signed the Rome Statute.
“He (Omar) could be arrested if the country he was visiting concurred with the alleged crime,” Dr Mahathir said.
He said if countries like Switzerland, England and the United States believe that Najib had allegedly been involved in money laundering, they could enlist Interpol to arrest him.
Dr Mahathir also felt Najib would not resign but only through possibility of prosecution outside Malaysia.
Najib has come under intense criticism over the financial scandals surrounding state investment vehicle 1Malaysia Development Berhad and for receiving RM2.6 billion in political donations.
“That is only a possibility based on the current international law,” he added.
Former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan was reported to have travelled to countries in Europe and Asia to push for investigations over alleged discrepancies of debt-ridden 1MDB.
Najib is chairman of 1MDB's advisory board.
The Umno man handed over evidence to the Swiss authorities on August 20 and urged them to investigate the state investment arm's activities involving Swiss and international banks.
He insisted that he only acted in the country's best interests.
Khairuddin was scheduled to meet agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US on Monday but found last Friday that a travel ban had been imposed on him.
He was arrested by police for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. Police have obtained a six-day remand against him.
The Wall Street Journal today reported that the FBI has started investigations into allegations of money laundering.
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