COMMENT | Given the charges and punishment Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz was facing, the deal offered by the prosecution to him over his US$248 million (about RM1.1 billion) money-laundering charges was a rotten one for the government, raising serious questions as to how the prosecution can even agree to such a deal. It needs to be investigated.

Not only that, attorney-general (AG) Idrus Harun has attempted to push this upon his predecessor Tommy Thomas who has vehemently denied again that he had agreed to the settlement. However, Idrus could not provide any evidence for Thomas’ so-called agreement beyond saying that he had been “advised” that Thomas was prepared to consider it and “had agreed to the suggestion in principle”. He does not say who advised him.

Meanwhile, the lead prosecutor in the case, Gopal Sri Ram, has said that the controversy over the deal should end with Idrus’ statement. But he is wrong because Idrus’ statement reveals details that most, if not all, of the assets involved in the US$108 million to be returned were those seized by the US Department of Justice or DOJ.

It is so bad that indications are that Riza does not have to take money out of his pocket but merely relinquishes any rights he may have to assets already seized by the DOJ amounting in all to about US$108 million. This money would have to come to Malaysia anyway. It is rather questionable if Riza has any rights to the assets because they were bought with stolen 1MDB money and the DOJ has legal right to seize assets bought with such money.

Riza, Najib Razak’s stepson, was facing 75 years in jail over five money-laundering charges, each of which carries a jail term of a maximum 15 years and fines of up to five times the amount laundered or RM5.5 billion in all, but gets away eventually with an acquittal.

What kind of a deal is it when the prosecution agrees to Riza merely relinquishing his rights to seized assets, rights he may not even have, and money from the sale of which is already being returned to Malaysia by the DOJ? Riza in effect returns no money at all and there is in effect no punishment whatsoever for a very serious offence.

It is imperative that this deal...