Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail has called for a thorough probe to determine who leaked documents relating to an ongoing investigation to The Wall Street Journal .
"(The documents) were the subject-matter of an investigation," he said in a statement.
He emphasised this is crucial to preserve the integrity of the investigation as the "public must not doubt the investigation".
Gani ( photo ) was respo nding to WSJ publishing documents in its article "Malaysia Orders Freeze of Accounts Tied to Probe of Alleged Transfers to Prime Minister Najib" yesterday.
Last week, WSJ published a report claiming that RM2.6 billion of 1MDB-linked funds were deposited into the personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Meanwhile, Gani also stressed that this was not a question of whistle-blowing as the matter is already under investigation.
“A further concern was that the documents were allegedly leaked from within the investigation itself,” he said.
Criminal offence
The attorney-general added that he would not hesitate to prosecute any person found to have leaked confidential investigation-related information as it is a “criminal offence”.
Section 133 of the Financial Services Act 2013 and Section 145 of the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 stipulates that it is a criminal offence for any person who has access to any document or information relating to the affairs or account of any customer of a financial institution, to disclose to another person any document or information relating to the affairs or account of any customer of the financial institution.
“It is also a criminal offence under section 203A of the Penal Code for any person to disclose any information or matter which has been obtained by him in the performance of his duties or the exercise of his functions under any written law and for any person who has any information or matter which to his knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of the law to further disclose that information or matter to any other person,” said Gani.
Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar ( photo ) this morning also said police will i nvestigate WSJ over the leaked documents.
Khalid said WSJ will be investigated under Section 4 of the Computer Crimes Act for unauthorised access with intent to commit further offence.
Gani heads the special taskforce probing the alleged misappropriation of 1MDB's funds. The taskforce yesterday announced it has frozen six bank accounts related to the case.
Apart from Gani, Khalid, as well as Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim Mohamed are also part of the taskforce.
Although Gani in his statement today said that his concern was “endorsed” by the three as well, Malaysiakini noted that today’s statement was signed by only Gani, a direct contrast to yesterday’s statement which was signed by all four members of the taskforce.
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