Malaysia's anti-money laundering law covers offences abroad: DPP

Money-laundering charges laid against Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz for related offences he allegedly committed outside Malaysia is allowed by the country's law, a deputy public prosecutor said today.

According to Ahmad Akram Gharib, Section 82(1)(e) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Act (Amlatfa) 2001 stipulated that money- laundering offences against the property of the government, although having occurred outside Malaysia, can be tried in a Malaysian court on the same basis as having being committed in Malaysia itself.

"The law says that anyone who allegedly commits an offence under against property that belongs to the government of Malaysia can be tried in court as if it had been committed at any place within the country," he told Malaysiakini when met after Riza's charges were heard by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob.

Akram, who is a part of the prosecution team in Riza's case, was asked about remarksmade by the accused's stepsister Nooryana Najwa on Thursday when she protested MACC decision to charge him over alleged offences that happened outside the country.

In an Instagram post, Nooryana pointed out that the Red Granite company, of which Riza was co-founder, had already paid a settlement to the US Department of Justice.

Riza Aziz and Nooryana Najwa

Red Granite is a Hollywood production company that produced The Wolf of Wall Streetfilm among others.

The settlement Nooryana was referring to was the US$60 million deal Red Granite Pictures, the production company, struck with the DOJ to avoid its assets being seized.

On the claim by Nooryana, Akram said the deal between Red Granite and the DOJ was a civil settlement.

"It does not absolve Riza from the offence that he had allegedly committed," the government lawyer said.

Earlier today, Riza, 42, was slapped with four counts of money-laundering under Section 4(1)(a) of Amlatfa for allegedly receiving illegal proceeds that originated from 1MDB.

Prosecutors say Riza, who is the son of Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor from another marriage, had allegedly received a total of US$248 million on five occasions between 2011 and 2012. - Mkini