BILINGUAL NEWS 双语新闻 181004

马来西亚前第一夫人面临洗钱指控

在马来西亚反贪机构调查国库流失数十亿美元案件之际,马来西亚前首相纳吉布的妻子周四被指控犯有包括洗钱在内的17项罪名。

纳吉布今年5月份下台后面对32项指控,涉及有关马来西亚主权基金数十亿美元失踪的滥权和违反信托义务等犯罪行为。他否认有任何不法行为。

目前尚不清楚对他的妻子罗斯玛的指控是否与一马基金有关,但她在被逮捕之前,接收了反贪机构针对一马基金对她进行的三轮质询,美国当局称有超过45亿美元从这一基金中被盗。上周三,罗斯玛被审问了将近13个小时。

罗斯玛被控使用非法收益和未申报所得税,这两项罪名都被列于反洗钱法中。

洗钱指控最高可判处15年监禁,并处以不低于任何非法转让收益价值五倍的罚款,或500万林吉特(121万美元),以高者为准。

纳吉布于周四在吉隆坡的另一个法庭接受审前听证,他因涉嫌从SRC国际转入他个人账户的1060万美元面临多起指控,SRC国际是丑闻缠身的一马基金的前身。纳吉布作出无罪抗辩。

马来西亚人对于从与纳吉布夫妇有关的房产中查获价值约2.75亿美元的现金和物品到愤怒,其中包括大量的爱马仕和其他设计师手袋、珠宝和手表等。

目前包括美国、瑞士和新加坡在内的6个国家都在对一马基金进行洗钱调查。

Wife of Malaysia’s Former PM Charged with Money Laundering

The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged with 17 offenses Thursday, including money laundering, as anti-graft agents investigate billions of dollars missing from state coffers.

Najib, who lost office in May, faces 32 charges from money laundering to abuse of power and criminal breach of trust over billions of dollars that went missing from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He has denied any wrongdoing.

It was not clear if the charges against Rosmah relate to 1MDB, but Rosmah’s arrest came after three rounds of questioning by anti-graft agents over 1MDB, from which U.S. authorities say more than $4.5 billion was misappropriated. Last Wednesday, Rosmah was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

Rosmah was charged with activities using illegal proceeds and failing to declare income tax, both covered under the anti-money laundering law.

The money laundering charges carry a penalty of up to 15 years in jail and a fine of not less than five times the value of the proceeds of any illegal transfers, or 5 million ringgit ($1.21 million), whichever is higher.

Najib also appeared at another courtroom in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday for a pretrial hearing, as he faces multiple charges in relation to about $10.6 million allegedly transferred into his account from SRC International, a former unit of scandal-ridden state fund 1MDB. Najib has plead not guilty.

Malaysians have been outraged by the seizure of around $275 million worth of cash and goods, including a vast collection of Hermes Birkin and other designer handbags, jewelry and watches from properties linked to Najib and Rosmah.

1MDB is now the subject of money laundering probes in over six countries, including the U.S., Switzerland and Singapore.