The report said Australian Federal Police suspected a “flurry of suspicious cash deposits” into Najmuddin’s Commonwealth Bank “Goal Saver” bank account, which had been laying dormant after it was opened in 2011.

“There does not appear to be any apparent lawful reason for the form and manner of the deposits,” an Australian police officer said in an affidavit sighted by SMH, to apply for the account to be frozen.

The report said deposits below A$10,000 had started coming in a week after Najmuddin visited Australia in 2016.

“Unknown depositors visited branches and ATMs around the country, from Biloela in country Queensland to Devonport in northern Tasmania to Lakemba in Sydney’s west and Melbourne’s CBD,” the report said, adding that Malaysian police had cleared Najmuddin of wrongdoings.

Contacted by FMT, Najmuddin declined to comment, saying the matter should be referred to inspector-general of police, Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

“The IGP is aware of the case,” said Najmuddin in a short reply, adding Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department had already investigated the case.

Meanwhile, deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the report by SMH was based on “an old story”.

“This is old story and I understand we have already conducted an internal inquiry. No wrongdoings were found,” he said. “It was investigated two years ago.”

The SMH report said Najmuddin’s account balance quickly grew from by nearly A$290,000, to A$320,000 (RM972,000) in a month, leading authorities to suspect that the money was proceeds from crime and money laundering.

When contacted by SMH, Najmuddin said the money was meant to pay for his daughter’s master’s degree, and was arranged by a “close friend in Malaysia”.

“I’ve given my explanation,” he was quoted as saying. “My department wrote a letter to the AFP.”

Najmuddin, previously the Johor police chief, was appointed to head the CID in August last year.