Malaysia, July 4: Malaysian anti-graft agency reported on Thursday it has arrested former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s stepson, Riza Aziz, over the charges of money laundering.
According to news reports, Latheefa Koya, the head of Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission, stated Riza was first detained on Thursday but, after a while, was freed on bail request.
The anti-corruption commission chief was reported as saying Riza is slated to appear before the court on Friday in order to face charges levelled against him in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering Act. However, Koya refused to offer further details over the matter.
Last year, Riza, also a Holywood film producer, was interrogated by the anti-graft agency on alleged money-laundering and theft charges at the 1MDB state-investment fund.
According to the United States investigating experts, Riza’s “Red Granite Pictures Inc.” company has made use of stolen funds from the 1MDB in order to financially support Hollywood films, including Martin Scorsese-directed movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street”.
Red Granite has paid the US government $60 million to settle claims it benefited from the 1MDB scandal.