FILE PHOTO: Foliage partly covers a 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) billboard at the funds flagship Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 3, 2015. REUTERS/Olivia Harris
May 15, 2018
ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss federal prosecutors are seeking quick talks with Malaysian counterparts on how to press forward with an investigation of suspected corruption surrounding scandal-hit sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, the Swiss attorney general’s office said on Tuesday.
“After the latest developments in Malaysia the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is very much interested in renewing dialogue with the competent authorities in Malaysia. In order to establish the most efficient form of cooperation and to ensure good coordination of the criminal investigations, the OAG favours an exchange between partnering authorities at their earliest convenience,” an OAG spokesman said by email.
Newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was sworn in on Thursday, has vowed to investigate the 1MDB scandal and take action against those who may have abetted or benefited from corruption at the fund. At least six countries, including the United States and Switzerland, are investigating allegations that $4.5 billion was siphoned off from 1MDB.
(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Alison Williams)
