Dr M: Government must follow rule of law in prosecuting those linked to 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government must follow the rule of law in bringing those responsible for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal to justice, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Prime Minister said this after acknowledging that the rakyat were beginning to ask questions about the delays in the criminal and corruption trials related to the 1MDB scandal.

"As a government that follows the rule of law, we abide by the postponements made by the court," said Dr Mahathir.

Speaking in response to a question from Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (March 12), Dr Mahathir also said the government was committed to recovering the billions that had gone missing.

"Although we have made efforts, the reality is that the money has gone missing and can't be traced," he said when answering a supplementary question by Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PAS-Kubang Kerian).

On July 4 last year, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was charged with three counts of misconduct and one charge of abusing his post over RM42 million in SRC funds.

On Aug 8, he was charged with three counts of money laundering involving the same amount belonging to the same fund.

On Sept 20, Najib was brought back to the Sessions Court and charged with four counts of corruption in connection to RM2.282 billion 1MDB funds and 21 money laundering charges.

On Dec 12, 2018, Najib claimed trial to charges of abusing his powers in relation to the alleged tampering of 1MDB's Final Audit Report before it was tabled to Parliament's  Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

On Dec 4, fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho  was charged in absentia with seven charges involving 1MDB.

He was charged with four other individuals central to the investigation into 1MDB.