FORMER Astro CEO Datuk Rohana Rozhan has returned US$10 mil to the Malaysian government after investigations found she was unaware the funds originated from the 1MDB scandal.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed that 70% of the overall 1MDB funds have now been recovered.
Rohana, ex-girlfriend of former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, had received the money as a gift for a London home in 2013, which she voluntarily returned to the government after learning of its illicit origins.
However, the authorities’ explanations that she was unaware of the source of the money do not sit well with internet warriors.
They want to know why she took so long to return the money and why the authorities are letting her go free from charges, alleging they believe she knew where the money came from.
User @penveled, said:
Will she be charged as an accessory ? For receiving and retaining stolen property ? For not denouncing a crime ? For blackmailing a theif ? If you do not then please explain yourself and provide the justification for your inaction
— KKK (@penveled) March 24, 2023
While there may be some misconceptions about how the law proceeds in such cases, netizens are in disbelief that she was given so much time to ‘return’ the millions.
But not everyone is against the former CEO.
Twitter user @krug88, said:
“Yeah. Let’s get the women to return money while the big crooks are fighting tooth and nail to keep their ill-gotten gains. And in their case, it billions. Not only that they are fighting tooth and nail to escape their tax liabilities.”
Yeah. Let’s get the women to return money while the big crooks are fighting tooth and nail to keep their ill gotten gains. And in their case it billions. Not only that they are fighting tooth and nail to escape their tax liabilities.
— 🤷🏼♂️ (@krug88) March 24, 2023
Another user @prasadvasudewan posted a picture purportedly showing how much the money stolen from 1MDB would have generated in a fixed deposit in a bank.
— p r a s a d 🔰 (@prasadvasudewan) March 24, 2023
The pictures show that a whopping amount indeed could have been generated if the US$10 mil was invested in legal and proper businesses.
Another user vented his anger on the MACC for letting Rohana walk freely.
User @chiafook2013 said in another Twitter thread on the topic, “Official SOP for seizure, forfeiture and repatriation of illegal obtained assets pun tak ada ke? E.g. If money/properties were returned to MACC, how and where is it accounted for? Cannot just keep quiet about it since it was publicised so much already!”
Official SOP for seizure, forfeiture and repatriation of illegal obtained assets pun tak ada ke? E.g. If money/properties were returned to MACC, how and where is it accounted for? Cannot just keep quiet about it since it was publicised so much already!
— CFLIM (@chiafook2013) March 24, 2023
He is asking why there is no SOP for seizures, forfeitures and repatriation of illegally obtained assets, similar to Rohana’s. — March 25, 2023
