He said in a statement that this was because there was already an investigation launched in Australia and MACC should instead obtain information from the Australian federal police and cooperate in the investigations as the allegations were serious.
“The statement by the MACC today that it will only carry out an investigation if there is a report lodged in relation to the money found in Najmuddin’s bank account in Australia is ill-advised and regrettable,” he said.
Ramkarpal was referring to a report in the Sunday Star today quoting MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki as saying that he had read the reports on the matter and would have to respect the findings of the police investigation, clearing the senior officer of any wrongdoing.
“But if we receive other information, then we will definitely look into it,” he was reported as saying.
Ramkarpal said the internal investigation in Bukit Aman which “cleared” the senior officer contradicted what was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald recently where it was claimed that Najmuddin had been stripped of more than A$320,000 (close to RM1 million) by the Australian federal police which suspected his Sydney bank account held laundered money or proceeds of crime.
“As such, the MACC ought to commence independent investigations into the matter without relying solely on the said internal investigations if it is to be seen as truly independent and transparent.
“The image of Malaysia is being tarnished in the eyes of the international world lately with the seizure of the Equanimity, by Indonesian authorities off the coast of Bali, said to be owned by (businessman) Jho Low and allegedly purchased with ill-gotten gains from 1MDB.
“We can ill-afford further negative publicity internationally in relation to this matter in Australia.
“As such, I urge the MACC to commence investigations forthwith into it by cooperating with the Australian authorities and not to simply brush it aside on the flimsy excuse of there not being a report lodged on the matter,” he said.
The report in Sydney Morning Herald had said that the Australian federal police suspected a “flurry of suspicious cash deposits” into Najmuddin’s Commonwealth Bank “Goal Saver” bank account, which had been lying 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.
Inspector-General of Police Mohamed Fuzi Harun was subsequently reported as saying that police had cleared Najmuddin based on the fact that funds deposited in the Australian bank account came from the sale of his house in Shah Alam.
Fuzi said Najmuddin had proven that deposits made into the account were from a legitimate source and for lawful purposes.