IGP: Najmuddin’s Australian funds came from sale of house

Fuzi says Najmuddin had proven that deposits made into the account were from a legitimate source and for lawful purposes. (Twitter pic)

PETALING JAYA: The police had cleared Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd in 2016 based on the fact that funds deposited in an Australian bank account came from the sale of his house in Shah Alam, Inspector-General of Police Mohamed Fuzi Harun said today.

In a statement, Fuzi said Najmuddin had proven that deposits made into the account were from a legitimate source and for lawful purposes.

“Najmuddin provided legitimate documents to prove that the funds originated from the sale of the house, which at the time was worth RM700,000,” the IGP said, adding that based on the currency exchange rate at the time, the value would amount to A$260,770.

Fuzi was referring to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) today, which said that the Australian Federal Police suspected a “flurry of suspicious cash deposits” into Najmuddin’s Commonwealth Bank “Goal Saver” bank account, which had been laying dormant after it was opened in 2011.

The report said deposits below A$10,000 had started coming in a week after Najmuddin visited Australia in 2016.

“Unknown depositors visited branches and ATMs around the country, from Biloela in country Queensland to Devonport in northern Tasmania to Lakemba in Sydney’s west and Melbourne’s CBD,” the report said, adding that Malaysian police had cleared Najmuddin of any wrongdoing.

The SMH report added Najmuddin’s account balance quickly grew by nearly A$290,000, to A$320,000 (RM972,000) in a month, leading authorities to suspect that the money was proceeds from crime and money laundering.

The IGP also confirmed an earlier statement from his deputy, Noor Rashid Ibrahim, that the police were made aware of the account in 2016 and an internal inquiry into the matter was immediately conducted by the integrity and standard compliance department.

“Investigations revealed that the said account was initially opened by Najmuddin in 2011 to facilitate the transfer of funds to finance his son’s education in Australia.

“Subsequently, in 2016, the same account was then reactivated to plan for his daughter’s masters degree course in Australia as well,” Fuzi said.

He added that the funds from the sale of the house was entrusted to a very close friend to make the cash transfer into the bank account in Australia.

“Najmuddin has also provided justification for the need to acquire an overseas account, for the sole purpose of funding his children’s education in Australia.

“Thus, it is baseless to assume that the source of the money was from questionable origins or that Najmuddin was involved in any form of indictable offences,” Fuzi said. -FMT