Malaysia's anti-corruption agency today questioned Riza Aziz, the stepson of former premier Najib Razak and a Hollywood film producer, as it stepped up its probe into alleged theft and money-laundering at the 1MDB state investment fund.
Riza was solemn as he arrived at the anti-graft office and didn't speak to reporters. US investigators say Riza's company, Red Granite Pictures Inc, used money stolen from 1MDB to finance Hollywood films including the Martin Scorsese-directed "The Wolf of Wall Street".
Red Granite in March agreed to pay the US government $60 million to settle claims that it benefited from the 1MDB scandal. The civil suit against Red Granite was part of an effort to recover more than $1 billion that US prosecutors say was stolen from 1MDB.
US investigators say $4.5 billion is suspected to have been looted and laundered from the fund, some of which landed in Najib's bank accounts. Alleged corruption at the 1MDB fund led to the surprise defeat of Najib's coalition in May 9 polls.
The new government has reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib's rule. The anti-graft agency has questioned Najib and his wife.
On Monday it grilled his former deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Najib and his wife have been barred from leaving the country. Police have also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($272 million) from properties linked to Najib.
A 1MDB taskforce set up by the government this week said 408 bank accounts involving funds of nearly 1.1 billion ringgit had been frozen. It said the accounts, belonging to 81 people and 55 companies, are thought to have received funds from 1MDB between 2011 and 2015.
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