UMNO lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was seen entering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters tonight.
He is believed to be meeting his client, Najib Razak.
The former prime minister is being held overnight in the MACC lock-up before he is taken to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex tomorrow morning.
He is expected to be charged under the Penal Code, and Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act at 8.30am.
Shafee arrived at 8.40pm in a grey Audi. He wound down the window before he was allowed in.
The 66-year-old criminal lawyer headed the prosecution in PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case.
Sources said Najib’s stepson, Riza Aziz, who arrived at the MACC headquarters at 1.30pm today to have his statement recorded in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal, will not be remanded.
“He will be allow to leave at 9pm once they finish recording his statement.”
Riza was earlier seen accompanied by a team of lawyers.
Also questioned by MACC today were former Felda chairman Shahrir Abdul Samad and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
A total of 408 bank accounts have been frozen in connection with the 1MDB probe, involving 81 individuals and 55 companies.
The 1MDB special task force said the accounts were frozen from June 26 to 29. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Bar ‘troubled’ by taskforce announcing Najib’s arrest
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Malaysian Bar president George Varughese said the professional body of lawyers is troubled by the 1MDB special taskforce’s announcement that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak had been arrested.
“The Malaysian Bar is shocked and troubled by the press statement issued today by the 1MDB taskforce announcing that Najib was arrested at 2.35pm in connection with SRC International Sdn Bhd, and that the former prime minister will be charged in court tomorrow at 8.30am.
“The taskforce has no legal standing to arrest Najib. Any arrest can only be effected either by the MACC or the police.
“The taskforce is also not in a position to decide whether or not Najib will be charged and or when he is to be charged,” Varughese said in a statement today.
The special taskforce comprises MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull, former MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed, former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and former Bukit Aman police special branch deputy chief Abdul Hamid Bador.
Varughese said the move by the 1MDB special taskforce raised a number of questions.
“Is the taskforce legally empowered to order the arrest of Najib? And is the taskforce legally empowered to charge Najib?” he said.
Najib was picked up this afternoon by the MACC at his Jalan Langgak Duta residence in Kuala Lumpur.
Subsequently, the 1MDB special taskforce confirmed Najib’s arrest. – M’kini
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