Malaysia's A-G: US Department of Justice meddling in our affairs
KOTA BARU: Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali accused the US Department of Justice (DOJ) of meddling in Malaysia's affairs, adding that the move was politically motivated, Malaysian media reported.
"What was done by the DOJ was based on (scant) information given (to them) by certain parties from Malaysia, and their actions (were politically-motivated and) not based on the law," he said yesterday.
"If they asked (for information related to sovereign wealth fund 1MDB), we would have been obliged to provide assistance. So, I conclude that the action is politically tinged."
Mr Apandi, who was speaking to reporters after attending a Hari Raya gathering, was referring to the lawsuit to seize assets allegedly linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) by the DOJ.
The DOJ filed civil-forfeiture lawsuits this year and last year seeking assets it alleges were bought with money misappropriated from 1MDB.
The US$1.7 billion (S$2.4 billion) worth of assets include a US$250 million yacht, company shares, properties and jewellery.
In a separate development, model Miranda Kerr has handed over US$8.1 million worth of jewellery to the DOJ a week after lawsuits said it was purchased for her with funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.
Ms Kerr, who isn't a defendant in the lawsuits, transferred the gifts last Friday to government agents from her safe-deposit box in Los Angeles. They were given to her by Malaysian financier Jho Low, whom she dated for about a year in 2014, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a source.
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