In a startling new allegation, Sarawak Report has claimed that RM2 million was deposited into a bank account purportedly belonging to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor.
The website said this was based on information received in connection to an account with Affin Bank Berhad.
"Baffling amounts of cash were deposited into it during the course of just two months at the start of this year," it said.
According to documents allegedly linked to the 1MDB probe by Malaysian investigators which was obtained by Sarawak Report , an individual called 'Roslan Sohari' entered the central branch of the bank in Kuala Lumpur on eight occasions between Feb 10 and April 23 this year ( photo ).
"On these visits he deposited a round total of RM2,000,000 into the account number 1000 XXXX XXXX, which investigators have reported as belonging to 'Rosmah Binti Mansor (Datin Sri)'."
According to the document, four deposits amounting to RM900,000 were made in March this year, the same month Najib's daughter Nooryana Najwa married Daniyar Kessikbayev from Kazakhstan.
Contacted by Malaysiakini , Rosmah's aide Rizal Mansor said he would comment on the matter later as he was accompanying the premier's wife at a buka puasa function.
Close to Najib and Rosmah
Malaysiakini also checked a Facebook page belonging to one 'Roslan Sohari', a military personnel with the rank warrant officer, which contained, among others, photographs of him with Najib in what seems to be inside a private jet.
On the Facebook page, his profession is stated as "Resident Manager at the Prime Minister's Office."
Records on Facebook also revealed that the individual had "checked in" at various locations abroad when Najib was at these places, such as Jeddah (June 6, 2015, when the premier and his wife were there to perform their umrah), Kazakhstan (last year), Beijing (Nov 12, 2014, when the premier attended the Asia Pacific Economic Conference), and New York (where Najib attended the UN general assembly last September).
He was also in Padang, Indonesia, on Aug 26 last year when Rosmah received the Minangkabau award .
However, it could not be ascertained if this is the same person mentioned by Sarawak Report .
When Malaysiakini telephoned Roslan via a mobile phone number shown in one of the documents provided by Sarawak Report , he denied having worked for the PM's Department or having links with Rosmah.
"No, I don't know (anything about this)," he said when asked if he had made the alleged transactions.
However, his Whatsapp image confirmed that the Roslan Sohari whom Malaysiakini spoke to is the same person as the Facebook account holder.
The Facebook page was deactivated shortly after this report was published.
Malaysiakini also checked the MyKad number of Rosmah as stated in a document and established that it was indeed hers.
It is also confirmed that the account number in Affin Bank, which is still active, belongs to 'Rosmah Binti Mansor' ( see photo ).
'Bank account' under probe
Sarawak Report further claimed that it has a copy of the transactions and was informed that Roslan came into the bank with the sum in cash, which was stashed in a bag.
" Sarawak Report can confirm this particular bank account has now been placed under investigation, because it can be related to inquiries about the possible misappropriation of money linked to 1MDB," said the report.
It also pointed out that 1MDB chairperson Lodin Wok Kamaruddin is also one of the directors of Affin Bank.
" Sarawak Report understands that the Rosmah-linked cash payments came to light during the course of these investigations, but that this account may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to other previously undisclosed accounts belonging to Malaysia's first lady, who has become a world famous shopper in recent years," said the website.
This latest allegation comes hot on the heels of another damning report published by The Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report last week.
The reports, based on information from Malaysian investigators, claimed that RM2.6 billion of 1MDB-linked funds was transferred to Najib’s personal bank accounts.
Najib has denied any wrongdoing and accused former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad of masterminding his ouster.
A multi-agency special task force comprising the Attorney-General's Chambers, police, Bank Negara, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, is currently probing the allegations concerning 1MDB.
Najib, at a function tonight, asked the public not to believe allegations thrown at him and his family in social media, without specifically referring to the latest Sarawak Repor t article.
In a speech at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur tonight, Najib said the government will make sure the truth about all the allegations will be put forth, though he did not specify when.
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