Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz said when he contested while Mahathir was Umno president and prime minister, he never once asked Mahathir where he got the money from.

However, he said Mahathir was now questioning Prime Minister Najib Razak about this and making the country’s leader look like a crook.

Nazri was referring to the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s account, said to have been a donation from the Saudi royal family, which was used for general election expenses.

The Umno supreme council member said there was nothing wrong with the prime minister putting the money in his personal bank account.

“We know how much Najib had, how much he had left, and that he had returned the remainder.

“I want you to know that collecting election funds is not an offence, and putting it in a personal bank account is also not an offence,” he told the news portal on the sidelines of the TN50 dialogue held at the National Academy of Arts, Culture, and Heritage in Kuala Lumpur today.

“Najib is a clean leader because the transactions in his accounts can be seen clearly,” Nazri said.

Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali, in clearing the prime minister of any wrongdoing in the RM2.6 billion donation matter, revealed that US$620 million was later returned to the donor.

Nazri has now questioned Mahathir, who led BN during five general elections, about the money he spent. He said Mahathir had five general elections while Najib had only one.

“I received RM200,000 from Umno prior to nomination day of the 13th general election up to polling day. BN gave the same amount to all candidates,” Nazri said, adding that the money was part of the RM2.6 billion donation.

“You have to understand that the party president has to pay RM99 million, including a RM10,000 deposit and RM200,000 spending money to each BN parliamentary candidate,” he said.

As for state seats, he said, each candidate received RM5,000 for a deposit and RM100,000 as spending money.

Nazri said BN contested in all 500 seats.