Najib’s stepson yet to hear outcome of representation to AGC
Riza Aziz faces money laundering charges involving RM1.25 billion allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has yet to respond to a representation by Riza Aziz, the stepson of Najib Razak, to review his money laundering charges involving US$248 million (RM1.25 billion), allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.
Riza, 43, sent the representation to the AGC on Nov 18 last year.
“In the meantime, the AGC is yet to reply to my client’s representation,” his lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh said.
He said the Sessions Court had postponed to May 5 the case management proceedings which was initially scheduled for April 6, due to the movement control order (MCO) to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
The court has fixed case management on May 5.
On Aug 9 last year, judge Rozina Ayob fixed Jan 6 to 9 and Jan 13 to 16 for the trial, but the dates have been vacated pending the outcome of the representation.
On July 5 last year, Riza, the owner of Hollywood-based Red Granite Pictures which produced The Wolf of Wall Street, pleaded not guilty to five charges of money laundering.
On the first charge, he was accused of money laundering amounting to US$1,173,104, transacted from an account with the number 11116073 which belonged to Good Star Limited at RBS Coutts, Switzerland, to the account number 123248291 of City National Bank, Los Angeles, belonging to Red Granite Productions Inc.
The money was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB funds between April 12 and May 12 at City National Bank, Los Angeles Main, 525 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, California.
On the second charge, Riza was accused of committing the same offence involving US$9 million through transfers from the same account on Sept 10 and Oct 10, 2012.
On the third and fourth charges, he was accused of the same offence involving US$133 million and US$60 million in money transfers from account number 81134378 belonging to Aabar Investment PJS Limited, at BSI SA, Lugano, Switzerland to account number 6C02250A at BSI Bank Limited, Singapore belonging to Red Granite Capital Ltd.
On the fifth charge, Riza was accused of committing the same offence amounting to US$45 million at the same venue on Nov 14, 2012.
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The charges were framed under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, which carries a fine not exceeding RM5 million or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both upon conviction.