MACC shifts into high gear

Cool wheels: A Bugatti Veyron showcased at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. This type of supercar is usually bespoke.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is in the midst of getting more information on the recent seizure of four Bugatti Veyron in Germany.

The special-edition supercars are said to be linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

They were of the Rembrandt, Black Bess, Jean-Pierre Wimille and Meo Constantini versions, each worth about US$3mil (RM14.3mil).

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said they have already submitted a request to the German authorities for more information.

“On Oct 26, 2022, we sent a request to get information on the purchase of the luxury vehicles using 1MDB bonds.

“We have also sent an updated request to get the latest information,” he said in a statement.

Azam also confirmed that the MACC had started investigations on the issue since 2020.

“It started when we sent a Mutual Legal Assistance request to Switzerland to get information on frozen assets linked to 1MDB in November 2020.

“It was followed by a joint meeting with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland regarding the 50 luxury cars involved in the 1MDB investigation in 2021,” he said.

According to German newspaper Bild, the supercars were seized earlier this week from a private storage facility.

“These cars are rarely sold and not commonly found at public auctions.

“They were tracked down and seized by the Criminal Investigation Department 7, which specialises in white-collar crimes,” reported Bild, adding that it learnt from “judicial circles” that the cars are linked to the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia.

It added that the cars were parked in Motorworld Munich during an automotive exhibition.

The cars were seized after a request for assistance from the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Bern, Bild reported, with a spokeswoman for the Swiss prosecutors saying they were linked to ongoing criminal proceedings.

In February this year, the MACC said it recovered more than RM23mil of 1MDB assets from operations last year.

The cash and assets were recovered through forfeitures, including in the courts, as well as voluntary returns by five individuals to the government.

Since 2019, a total of RM29.03bil of 1MDB assets has been returned through the cooperation of MACC and the Special Task Force on 1MDB Asset Recovery, as well as foreign agencies.