NOW UMNO CLAIMS SHOCK HEIST RM3.5 MILLION STOLEN FROM PM’S DEPARTMENT ALSO BELONGS TO THEM – REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR – The RM3.5 million cash allegedly taken by security personnel from the Prime Minister’s Department had belonged to Umno, a news portal reported.

They had allegedly taken money from the office of then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the night of the May 9 general election.

The money was from the Umno election war chest, the portal reported, quoting sources.

“The security personnel were part of a team on duty that night to provide security at the department. Those arrested were the ones who at that time were tasked to guard its main building, where the Prime Minister’s Office is (located).

“It is believed that when they learned that BN was going to lose the election, they decided to take something for themselves and went into an office that belonged to the former prime minister,” a source told the portal, adding that the cash was not kept in a safe.

Another source told the portal that the authorities became suspicious when the group began showing off their sudden wealth, including by purchasing new motorcycles.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officers had, earlier Wednesday, obtained five-day remand orders against the group of 17 security personnel, aged between 31 and 51, to facilitate investigations under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.

It was reported that MACC had seized RM840,700 in cash from the suspects, alongside nine motorcycles worth RM90,000.

– NST