New task force to investigate 1MDB
But Malaysia's anti-corruption commission not on it
Malaysia's Attorney-General has formed a new task force to investigate state fund 1MDB, but it excludes the country's anti-corruption body, local newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported on Friday.
The task force comprises the central bank, Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), police, customs department and the Inland Revenue Board, said the newspaper, citing Mohd Shukri Abdul, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Mr Shukri told the newspaper in an interview that the MACC will continue its own investigation into 1MDB.
He said that its absence from the new task force was "not a problem", Reuters reported.
Representatives from the AGC and the MACC declined to comment.
The central bank could not be immediately reached for comment.
S'POREAN FIRED
Separately, Singaporean Jessica Gurmeet Kaur, the legal officer held in a probe into the 1MDB leaks, has been fired from the AGC and her permanent residency revoked on Friday, reported the Malaysian Insider news site.
She was part of the special task force set up to probe the 1MDB issue, reported The Star.
But on Aug 1, Ms Kaur was arrested, along with former MACC adviser Tan Sri Rashpal Singh, and held for a day for questioning in connection with leaks into the 1MDB probe.
They were released on bail.
Sources told the Malaysian Insider that the residency permits of Ms Kaur's children were also cancelled.
1MDB is being examined by Malaysian authorities who are investigating accusations of financial mismanagement and graft.
Malaysian police raided 1MDB's office in July after the Wall Street Journal ran a report that said that investigators looking into the fund found nearly US$700 million (S$980 million) had been put into Prime Minister Najib Razak's bank account, citing documents from the investigation.
Reuters has not verified the report.
Mr Najib, who chairs 1MDB's advisory board, has denied taking any money for personal gain.
The MACC has since verified that it was a donation from the Middle East.
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