More charges for ex-Malaysian PM

Three extra counts of money laundering will be laid against former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak over the theft of money from a state development fund.

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak will be charged with three additional counts of money-laundering over his suspected involvement in misappropriating money from a state development fund, state media reports.

Najib will be charged on Wednesday under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act, the Bernama news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund, or 1MDB, is the subject of an international investigation involving at least six countries - including Singapore, the US and Switzerland - over alleged money laundering and graft by high-level 1MDB officials.

Najib, who served as the Malaysian premier from 2009 to 2018, is accused of misappropriating some $US4.5 billion from 1MDB, including nearly $US700 million that were allegedly transferred into his personal bank account.

Najib was arrested and charged in Malaysia last month on one count of abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust linked to an alleged transfer of 42 million ringgit ($US10 million) into his personal bank account from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

The embattled ex-leader was already scheduled to appear at Malaysia's High Court on Wednesday for proceedings relating to the four existing charges against him.

Najib has maintained his innocence and pled not guilty to all four charges.


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Source: AAP



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