LANGKAWI: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he would not run away – he will stay in Malaysia and fight to clear his name from all allegations surrounding him, even if he might go to jail.
“No, I never had plans to leave, because if I leave, there’s presumption of guilt.
“I cannot be a fugitive for the rest of my life. I want to clear my name,” he told Reuters in an exclusive interview.
The new Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad yesterday said that the government “has an almost perfect case” against Najib on charges of embezzlement, misappropriation, and bribery linked to 1MDB.
In the interview with Reuters today, Najib denies all wrongdoings and allegations.
He said he shouldn’t be blamed for the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal and insisted he knew nothing about money from the state fund appearing in his personal account.
He also claims that he knows nothing about the millions of dollars that were laundered to the USA and other countries to acquire assets globally, including yachts, paintings, gems and prime real estate.
“I’m not party to the yacht, the paintings… I’ve never seen those paintings whatsoever,” said Najib.
“I was not aware of these purchases. This was done without my knowledge. I would never authorize 1MDB funds to be used for any of these items. I’ve been in government so long, I know what’s right and what’s wrong,” Najib told Reuters.
Najib said that most of the seized handbags and other luxury items were gifts given to his wife and daughter and had nothing to do with 1MDB.
“Yes, these were gifts…A lot of them were wedding presents,” he added.
Some were given as presents to his wife Rosmah by his son-in-law Daniyar Nazarbayev, the nephew of Kazakstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
“People might find it hard to understand, but my son-in-law, for example, he gets Birkin from his source, five or six at one go,” he said.
“His family has got some means, so it has nothing to do with 1MDB if it comes from Kazakhstan.”
He also said RM114 million found at his family home in Kuala Lumpur were party funds belonging to his party Umno.
He also insisted that US$681 million transferred into his personal bank account was a donation from Saudi Arabia.
-Malaysia World News
