Police on Saturday raided a deluxe Kuala Lumpur apartment block at which relatives of ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak had been staying as they searched for sensitive documents the new government fears may be taken out of the country, two senior police officers said.
The swoop came as Malaysia's new Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said he had stopped his predecessor from leaving the country because of suspected wrongdoing in connection with a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB.
Police said they were acting after a complaint that a government vehicle had delivered dozens of boxes made to carry designer handbags and other items to the apartment for Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor.
Public disgust over alleged corruption was widely seen as one of the reasons behind the unexpected defeat of Najib's long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in Wednesday's general election.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
A spokesman for Najib could not be immediately reached for comment. Reuters was unable to reach Najib himself, his wife, or other family members and close associates on Saturday night.
Reuters saw about 20 police officers enter the marble-floored lobby of the Pavilion Residences apartment block in the Malaysian capital, just as Mahathir was holding a news conference to announce key members of his cabinet.
They were aided by at least a dozen other plainclothes law-enforcement officers. Security personnel from the building - which is owned by Desmond Lim, a wealthy Malaysian businessman and supporter of Najib - were cooperative.
"We are looking for government documents that may have been illegally taken," said a senior police officer, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
"The government are worried they could be sensitive and important, and could be taken out of the country."
He declined to say whether any documents had been found and described the operation as "ongoing".
According to the police, members of Najib's family had been staying at the apartments, but they declined to name them.
ORANGE BOXES
The police action followed a complaint lodged by two leaders of the youth wing of Mahathir's political party, Bersatu.
The police report of the complaint, reviewed by Reuters, alleges that vans emblazoned with the logo of the department of the prime minister and cabinet delivered boxes for 50 Birkin handbags to Pavilion Residences on Thursday evening.
The report alleged that the boxes showed the name of the consignee as Rosmah Mansor.
Two photos provided with the report and reviewed by Reuters showed a van with the department's logo and a shopping trolley filled with orange boxes. The location, the date and the contents of the boxes - including whether there were any of the handbags inside - could not be ascertained from the photos.
The Birkin handbags concerned would cost $200,000 each, the complaint said.
The senior police officer only confirmed "family members" of Najib had stayed in the apartment complex when Reuters asked if Rosmah had stayed there.
Another officer involved in the operation described the persons of interest as "VVIPs", or very, very important persons.
Both police officers said investigators were not primarily interested in the luxury items but were chasing documents that could be vital for investigations into Najib's administration.
ANNOUNCED OVERSEAS TRIP
Kuala Lumpur's police chief and an official police spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
Najib said earlier on Saturday that he was going abroad for a week to rest, but just minutes later the Department of Immigration announced that he and his wife had been barred from leaving the country.
Mahathir, who was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, has vowed to probe the loss of billions of dollars from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.
U.S. Department of Justice documents allege that $681 million from 1MDB was transferred to the personal account of a person identified as Malaysian Official One, which U.S. and Malaysian sources have confirmed was Najib.
Najib has said the deposit was a donation by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family which had been largely returned.
Reuters
Sat May 12 2018
Pavilion Residences is a luxury condominium situated on top of the Pavilion Mall in Kuala Lumpur. - www.pavilion-residences.com
Pesawat Maritim Malaysia bantu padam kebakaran di Miri
Maritim Malaysia telah mengatur gerak pesawat Bombardier CL-415 miliknya, bagi membantu dalam operasi memadamkan kebakaran hutan tanah gambut secara bersepadu.
Polis tahan lelaki bakar mercun di tengah jalan raya
Polis menahan seorang pembantu bengkel yang disyaki membakar mercun di tengah jalan raya, ketika perarakan pengebumian berdekatan sebuah pasar raya di Banting, Selangor, semalam.
NADMA laksana pembenihan awan di Papar, Lahad Datu dan Tawau
Operasi itu dilaksanakan bagi mendapatkan sumber air mencukupi di kawasan tadahan hujan ekoran cuaca panas.
Sultan Selangor berkenan lancar Tabung Pembangunan Ehsan Selangor-Gaza
Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah hari ini berkenan melancarkan Tabung Pembangunan Ehsan Selangor-Gaza.
PADU: Keraguan pengguna patut menjadi satu mesej yang kerajaan kena faham - Pakar
Masalah itu tercetus akibat kurangnya komunikasi yang cermat dan akhirnya, ia membawa kepada pemahaman yang bersegmen dan kompleks.
Jumlah korban serangan di dewan konsert Rusia meningkat kepada 143
Jumaat lepas, sekumpulan lelaki bersenjata melepaskan tembakan rambang di Dewan Bandaraya Crocus, Krasnogorsk dalam Wilayah Moscow.
Kerjasama dua hala India-Malaysia bergantung kepada kepercayaan, kebolehpercayaan bersama - Menteri Luar
Memupuk kepercayaan dan kebolehpercayaan bersama sebagai asas untuk kerjasama dua hala antara India dan Malaysia adalah sangat penting, kata Menteri Luar India, Dr S. Jaishankar.
AWANI 7:45 [28/03/2024] - 75 peratus pemegang akaun keldai | Sakit mata, sakit hati | Bayar agihan pendapatan | Elak serbuan saat akhir
#AWANI745 malam ini bersama Essan Yahya;
1. Scammer! Dalam tiga bulan, lebih empat ribu ditahan
2. Hati jadi sakit, lambakan kereta terbiar depan rumah... Gempur745 siasat
3. PNB agih pendapatan RM0.67 bilion
4. Tambahan 300 kaunter PADU seluruh negara
1. Scammer! Dalam tiga bulan, lebih empat ribu ditahan
2. Hati jadi sakit, lambakan kereta terbiar depan rumah... Gempur745 siasat
3. PNB agih pendapatan RM0.67 bilion
4. Tambahan 300 kaunter PADU seluruh negara
AWANI Ringkas: Rusuhan di bazar Ramadan
AWANI Ringkas
PM Anwar beri bayangan tiada 'cuti tambahan' sempena sambutan Aidilfitri
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim beri bayangan tiada cuti tambahan diberikan menjelang sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri yang dijadual pada 10 April depan.
Kerajaan sudah bayar RM48.06 bilion hutang 1MDB
Menteri Kewangan II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan memberitahu, jumlah itu termasuk bayaran AS$3 bilion (RM14.2 bilion) yang dibuat pada Mac 2023 menerusi Belanjawan 2023.
Dana SRC AS$15 juta dipindah kepada beberapa individu termasuk anak bekas PM Mongolia
Menurut pakar penyiasatan kewangan itu penyelidikannya mendedahkan selain Battushig, Dash Uranbileg iaitu tokoh politik di Mongolia menerima AS$2 juta daripada Muraset.
AG peroleh kebenaran mulakan prosiding komital terhadap Isham Jalil
Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini membenarkan permohonan Peguam Negara (AG) untuk memulakan prosiding komital terhadap Isham Jalil.
Perjanjian berkaitan pemulihan aset 1MDB tidak terperinci - Johari
Perjanjian antara kerajaan Malaysia dan Goldman Sachs berkaitan pemulihan aset 1MDB pada 2020, dibuat dengan tidak terperinci.
Kelulusan Najib diperlukan sebelum sebarang langkah dibuat dalam operasi 1MDB - Jasmine Loo
Bekas peguam 1MDB memberitahu mahkamah kelulusan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak diperlukan sebelum sebarang langkah dibuat dalam operasi 1MDB.
SPRM peroleh dokumen bank berkaitan kes 1MDB dari beberapa negara melalui MLA - Saksi
Switzerland, Barbados, Hong Kong dan Belanda hulur bantuan dari segi penyerahan dokumen bank melalui Bantuan Undang-Undang Bersama (MLA).
1MDB: Pertuduhan terhadap Najib tidak cacat - Saksi
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa pertuduhan yang dikenakan ke atas bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam kes 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) tidak cacat.
Jho Low bersumpah mahu jadikan hidup saya menderita jika kembali - Jasmine Loo
Jasmine Loo memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi bahawa Jho Low telah bersumpah untuk menjadikan hidupnya menderita sekiranya beliau kembali ke Malaysia.
Jho Low arah Kee Kok Tiam sediakan surat derma Arab Saudi - Jasmine Loo
Arahan itu adalah bagi menyatakan dana-dana yang dimasukkan ke dalam akaun bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak adalah derma dari Arab Saudi.
Kes 1MDB: Jho Low dakwa ada bukti, bertindak atas arahan Najib - Saksi
Jasmine Loo berkata, Jho Low pernah mendakwa, sekiranya apa-apa terjadi kepadanya, dia mempunyai bukti menunjukkan semua tindakan yang dilakukan ialah mengikut permintaan Najib.