KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police seized 284 boxes of designer handbags anddozens of bags filled with cash and jewelry on Friday from a luxurycondominium in the center of Kuala Lumpur linked to former prime ministerNajib Razak.
Police have been searching Najib’s home and other places linked to him aspart of an investigation into the scandal-plagued state fund 1MalaysiaDevelopment Berhad (1MDB), an extraordinary turn of events that few wouldhave predicted before a May 9 general election that he was expected to win.
Items such as Birkin handbags from Hermes, jewelry, watches and othervaluables were carted out of the condominium at the upmarket PavilionResidences, in the pre-dawn hours, police said.
“Exactly how much jewelry, I would not be able to say, because we know thatwe confiscated bags containing jewelry and the number of jewelry is ratherbig,” Amar Singh, director of police commercial crime investigations, toldreporters at the scene.
Shortly after Najib and his long-ruling political coalition were defeatedin the polls, new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad barred him and his wife,Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country.
Mahathir, 92, who was once Najib’s mentor, says there is sufficientevidence to investigate the multi-billion-dollar scandal at the 1MDB fundthat Najib founded.
Authorities in six countries, including the United States, areinvestigating the fund.
Najib denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer on Thursday denounced the longsearch of Najib’s home as “harassment”.
Critics of Najib have often accused his wife of lavish spending, which theysay was done with public funds.
Rosmah’s alleged excesses included designer handbags, watches and jewelry,which she bought while traveling around the world, have been widelyreported, although she has never spoken about it herself.