KUALA LUMPUR – Police on Saturday raided a deluxe Kuala Lumpur apartmentblock at which relatives of ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak had beenstaying as they searched for sensitive documents the new government fearsmay be taken out of the country, two senior police officers said.The swoopcame as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said he hadstopped his predecessor from leaving the country because of suspectedwrongdoing in connection with a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund1MDB.
Police said they were acting after a complaint that a government vehiclehad delivered dozens of boxes made to carry designer handbags and otheritems to the apartment for Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.
Public disgust over alleged corruption was widely seen as one of thereasons behind the unexpected defeat of Najib’s long-ruling BarisanNasional coalition in Wednesday’s general election.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing.