Leftover from RM2.6b used for election: deputy minister

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi today shed some light on the mystery of the unreturned portion of the RM2.6 billion donation received by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, saying it was used during the last general election.

"The rest of the money was spent for the election [...] so whatever the balance, that's it. Then they returned.

"I don't see any issue on that," Aziz told a press conference after launching a road safety event in Bandar Tasik Selatan this morning.

He was responding to a question on the whereabouts of US$61 million from Najib's US$620 million which the prime minister is said to have returned.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali said that Najib returned US$620 million to the Saudi royal family but he did not explain the remaining US$61 million of the US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) that was channelled into Najib's personal bank accounts as political donation.

Last August, Abdul Aziz said the US$681 million Arab donation was used to counter 'Jewish-backed' DAP, a long-time political nemesis of the ruling party.

Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali said that Najib returned US$620 million of the total amount to the Saudi royal family but he did not explain what happened to remaining US$61 million that was channelled into Najib's personal bank accounts.

Abdul Aziz praised Apandi for clearing public doubt over the RM2.6 billion and SRC affairs while slamming the opposition for making baseless accusations.

“Definitely (it helps to clarify). When the AG makes a clarification, everybody knows that allegations made by opposition are all baseless and based on assumption,” the Sri Gading MP said, adding he hoped the people would move forward now with Apandi’s clarification.

Earlier this week, Apandi had cleared Najib of any wrongdoing in the SRC International case and the RM2.6 billion affairs and instructed the MACC to close the files. -Mkini