Cops unable to complete probe on Zeti's husband due to closed S'pore border

De facto law deputy minister Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the police are currently unable to complete their investigation on Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, over allegedly receiving 1MDB-linked funds.

This is because the police were asked by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to take further investigative action in Singapore related to the case but the borders between the two countries are currently closed.

“The investigative papers were referred to the AGC on Oct 14 and Dec 12, 2021.

“However, the investigative papers were returned to the police on Dec 21, 2021 for several further investigative actions in Singapore.

“Seeing as the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore is closed until now, further action will be taken after the two countries reopen,” Mas Ermieyati (above) said.

She was speaking during the special chamber meeting where they were discussing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s motion on the disclosures made by disgraced Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, especially on Bank Negara Malaysia.

Mas Ermieyati added that the MACC is currently focusing on asset recovery from countries such as Switzerland, Kuwait, Mauritius, Cyprus and Hong Kong, involving individuals related to the 1MDB case.

Not verified if bribe paid

Leissner had recently mentioned bribery involving Tawfiq while he was testifying before the New York Eastern District Court.

However, he could not independently verify if a bribe was indeed paid.

Last March, Bukit Aman had said it will investigate Tawfiq for allegedly receiving funds linked to 1MDB in a Singapore bank account under his name.

The police said they were investigating him under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.

Previously, it was reported that Singapore alerted BNM about suspicious transactions from fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho to a company owned by Tawfiq when Zeti was still heading the central bank.

According to The Edge, the transfers totalling US$16.22 million (RM68.4 million) took place in 2008 and 2009 and were flagged to BNM in 2015 and 2016 when Singapore began investigating 1MDB-linked transfers.

The funds were reportedly received by Iron Rhapsody Ltd, a company that is allegedly beneficially owned by Tawfiq and one of his sons.

Iron Rhapsody is alleged to have transferred the 1MDB-linked funds to Cutting Edge Industries - which is also owned by Tawfiq and his sons Abdul Aziz and Aliff Ayman.

Last November, it was reported that US$15.4 million (RM64.9 million) that had been linked to the accounts of Cutting Edge Industries had been repatriated from Singapore to Malaysia. - Mkini