KINIBIZ Riza Aziz, the stepson of prime minister Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, reveals in a recent New York Times interview that the main funder for his film production company Red Granite Pictures is Abu Dhabi-based businessman Mohamed Ahmed Badawy Al-Husseiny.

Mohamed Ahmed Badawy ( left ) is the CEO of Aabar Investments PJS, a company that is majority owned by IPIC (International Petroleum Investment Company) and was formed by the Abu Dhabi government in 1984.

Aabar has significant dealings with state investment fund 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Holdings Berhad). It has the option of taking up to 49 percent stake in Powertek Holdings (PIH), the power holding company belonging to to 1MDB.

Aabar also has a 20 percent stake in RHB Capital Bhd and was reportedly unhappy with the ongoing merger negotiations of RHB Capital with CIMB Group and Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB).

However, Ahmed Badawy explains in the NYT interview that his funding of Red Granite Pictures is done in his personal capacity and not connected to Aabar at all.

He adds that there are other investors in Red Granite Pictures but does not reveal them, only to confirm that none of them are Malaysians.

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