‘Onus is not on Najib to take action over money transfer allegations’

PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister should not take any action against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its report that RM2.6bil was transferred into his personal bank accounts, says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said the report was a mere allegation and WSJ should have provided the evidence, facts and proof.

“If Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak only takes action against WSJ, it would look like he is being selective. The Prime Minister must be consistent. He must sue all the parties,” he said.

Nazri said it did not matter that a special task force comprising officers from Bank Negara, MACC and police was going through documents taken from the offices of three 1MDB-linked companies.

“WSJ still has to make a police report. If it has given it to the task force, then there is no need for the Prime Minister to sue.

“Just allow the task force to complete its work and investigation, and we can take it from there.

“In circumstances like this, it is the party alleging wrongdoing who must report to the police. The Prime Minister does not have to sue it.

“There is no need for the Prime Minister to do this. What is more important is, he should focus his time and effort towards the people and nation. I am going to urge him not to sue,” said Nazri, who is a lawyer by training.

The Prime Minister’s Office has responded to the articles in WSJ saying that it was an act of “political sabotage” while 1MDB has insisted that no funds were transferred to Najib’s accounts.

Najib has maintained that the allegations are a political ploy engineered by his opponents in an attempt to topple him.