1MDB caught up in Singapore's largest money-laundering probe: WSJ
Singapore's state prosecutors have declared the cross-border investigation involving embattled Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) the largest money laundering probe the country has ever undertaken, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The prosecutors' statements, the Wall Street Journal reports, were made Friday during a bail hearing for Yeo Jiawei, a former wealth manager at Swiss private bank BSI SA's Singapore branch, who has been charged with money laundering in relation to the 1MDB investigation.
The Singapore investigation focuses on money alleged to have originated at 1MDB and passed through BSI's Singapore branch,
The High Court overturned an earlier decision from Singapore's State Court to grant Yeo bail, on the grounds there could be a risk he would interfere with witnesses.
On Friday Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the central bank governor has asked the police to investigate the Wall Street Journal for leaking a confidential document related to an inquiry into scandal-hit government fund.
The WSJ had earlier reported that Malaysia's investigations into IMDB didn't examine key evidence or interview Prime Minister Najib Razak. The PM's office issued a strongly worded response to the WSJ report, accusing the paper of bias and publishing "unverified lies."
A spokeswoman for Dow Jones, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, said: "We stand behind our fair and accurate reporting of this evolving story and remain committed to providing robust coverage of events in Malaysia."
You can read the full WSJ report here.