KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia �� Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday that there is enough evidence to reopen an investigation into a multibillion-dollar scandal at a state-owned development fund, as his predecessor Najib Razak was banned from leaving the country.
Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and defected to the opposition to run as its candidate for prime minister, repeatedly called Najib a "thief" on the campaign trail and pledged to revisit the corruption. His election win Wednesday brought the Barisan Nasional coalition's 61-year rule to an abrupt end.
"We have placed certain restrictions on a number of people who may be involved in wrongdoing or in making wrong decisions," Mahathir said Saturday. He confirmed that he ordered the travel restrictions on Najib, and cited "whatever little information that justifies ourselves taking action, including detention, arrests or even preventing them from going abroad."
Mahathir said he was instructing the auditor-general to remove any restrictions on publicizing the details of a report from a local investigation into the fund, 1MDB, and planned to replace the attorney general.
The U.S. Justice Department claims that billions of dollars were siphoned from 1MDB, which was set up in 2009 to support infrastructure in Malaysia. Najib faced allegations that some of the money ended up in his personal accounts before an election in 2013. He acknowledged that around $700 million appeared in his accounts but said it was a donation from the Saudi royal family and most of it was returned. He was cleared by the attorney general of wrongdoing, though some international investigations continue.
"We want to do it as quickly as possible," Mahathir said of any resumed investigation. "It is a very complex thing because it involves a lot of people, it involves a lot of decisions made, and the money you know has to be investigated as to the money laundering. We have to contact America, Switzerland, Singapore."
Najib said earlier Saturday that he was planning to take a short break with his family to consider his future, but later said on Twitter he would respect the immigration department order. Media reports had said Najib intended to fly with his wife to Indonesia.
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(Mathieson reported from Singapore. Andrea Tan contributed to this report.)
