A retired senior police officer testified in court on April 07th 2025 that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was swiftly briefed on the 1MDB scandal just five days after becoming prime minister in May 2018. The confidential briefing included details of investigations and pointed directly to former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak's bank account as a recipient of funds linked to 1MDB.
Senior Assistant Commissioner (Retired) R. Rajagopal, now serving as the 11th defence witness in Najib’s ongoing 1MDB trial, said the briefing took place on May 15, 2018, at the Perdana Leadership Foundation. He was joined by then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, Commercial Crime Investigation Department head Datuk Seri Amar Singh, and another officer who managed the PowerPoint presentation. However, Rajagopal delivered the presentation himself.
Rajagopal told the court that he highlighted evidence from the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) 2016 and 2017 civil suits, which tracked 1MDB funds into Najib’s personal accounts. He emphasized that while Malaysian investigators hadn’t yet pursued overseas evidence, the DoJ filings offered significant leads.
The briefing also included a breakdown of the flow of funds, key figures involved, and alleged misconduct tied to the sovereign wealth fund. According to Rajagopal, Dr Mahathir appeared interested in the investigative findings and encouraged the team to pursue necessary evidence—even internationally—to ensure a comprehensive probe.
The veteran officer said Dr Mahathir asked questions during the session but no one in the session suggested who should be charged. Rajagopal clarified that the investigation was still ongoing at the time and no conclusions had yet been drawn about potential prosecutions.
The court also heard that a day after the briefing, on May 16, Rajagopal filed a police report that allowed investigations into alleged money laundering to proceed. Soon after, he was reinstated to the 1MDB task force, which had earlier been dissolved in 2015 following the removal of Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.
Under questioning, Rajagopal elaborated that during the initial 2015 task force period, his role focused on probing criminal breach of trust related to 1MDB’s domestic operations. In contrast, the MACC looked into the RM42 million linked to SRC International and the RM2.6 billion found in Najib’s account, while Bank Negara handled investigations into 1MDB’s investment approvals.
Information Source: Malay Mail
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