Malaysian leader pressured as US moves to seize assets
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Pressure mounted Thursday on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, with lawmakers demanding he go on leave and be held accountable after U.S. officials initiated action to seize more than $1 billion they say was stolen from a state investment fund by people close to the premier.
The diverted funds paid for luxury properties in New York and California, a $35 million jet, art by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet and helped finance the Hollywood film, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” according to federal government complaints that demand the recovery and forfeiture of the ill-gotten assets.
The opposition leader in Parliament, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said Najib must give a full explanation in Parliament and go on leave to ensure a full and transparent probe.