Speaking at a forum here last night, he said his warning was directed at people allegedly protecting Prime Minister Najib Razak, whom he held accountable for the alleged loss of public funds as a result of wrongdoing in 1MDB.
He named tycoon Low Taek Jho, 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy and Arul’s predecessor, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, as among those he planned to go after. He also named Casey Tang, who served as 1MDB’s Executive Director for Business Development for three years until March 2011. Tang is said to be on Bank Negara Malaysia’s wanted list.
“Najib Razak feels he is invincible,” Rafizi said. “But we can touch those involved with 1MDB. So this is my direct message to some people named very clearly in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report: after this we are going to issue a citizens’ wanted list.
“If you can’t get the guy on top, you go after the guys protecting him. It’s our job to make sure they run until they have no more ground to run on.
“We will bring you down one by one. So you choose whether to come forward or to face possible legal action. You decide whether you want to allow Najib to make you a scapegoat, or to save your own skin.”
According to Rafizi, these individuals, along with the 1MDB’s board of directors and some of the firm’s employees, could be charged with various offences under the Companies Act.
He said Arul could “go down” for obstruction of justice and others could be charged with criminal breach of trust, conspiracy to conceal a crime and negligence of fiduciary duties.
“As for the board members, we will make sure the public hound each one of you until you come forward and say something,” he said.
Rafizi has been charged in court with publicising documents classified under the Official Secrets Act. Referring to the possibility of his having to serve time in jail, he said: “I’m not going in alone. Since I’m going in, I might as well drag all those involved in 1MDB with me.
“Being in jail is not so bad now. I’m sure whoever is arrested over issues related to 1MDB will be a celebrity.”