THE Singapore Police Force (SPF) reiterated that it had been cooperative in handling requests from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) in assisting investigation into money laundering allegation involving former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s husband, Datuk Tawfiq Ayman.
According to report by Free Malaysia Today, SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) said that there had been multiple correspondences with their Malaysian counterpart since December last year following PDRM’s request to travel to the country to probe the case.
“In our last correspondence on Jan 10, we proposed for the Malaysian team to conduct its visit between Feb 8 and 9 this year.
“But the Malaysian side only responded to our proposal on March 8, requesting to enter the republic in mid to late March,” SPF was reported as saying.
On March 3, Bukit Aman said that they were waiting for Singapore’s nod to cross the border to continue investigating graft allegations levelled against Tawfiq.
Back then, Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Kamarudin Md Din told FMT that the Omicron wave in Malaysia and Singapore had disrupted the progress of the investigation.
“We will go as soon as they allow us to cross the border,” Kamarudin was reported as saying.
On March 8, Deputy Law Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin told Parliament the same thing, adding the probe was impeded due to border closure linked to the Omicron wave.
Tawfiq was accused of to have received funds linked to the scandal-plagued 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) through Iron Rhapsody Ltd – a company that is owned by Tawfiq and one of his sons.
Iron Rhapsody is alleged to have transferred the funds to Cutting Edge Industries – which is also owned by Tawfiq and his sons Abdul Aziz Taqfiq and Aliff Tawfiq.
Last November, it was reported that US$15.4 mil (RM64.9 mil) linked to the accounts of Cutting Edge Industries had been repatriated from Singapore to Malaysia. — March 13, 2022
Main photo credit: Malaysiakini
