Wife of Malaysian Ex-PM Arrested on Graft Charges

Tiffany Ap

Updated Wed, October 3, 2018 at 10:17 AM UTC

BEIJING–Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency has arrested the nation’s former first lady Rosmah Mansor on Wednesday to face charges of money laundering, Reuters reported.

The wife of Rajib Nazak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, has become a key figure in the investigation into the 1MDB scandal, which saw nearly $700 million taken from the country’s sovereign fund and wired into Nazak’s personal accounts. She appeared at a hearing on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, after being questioned for 13 hours by authorities the week before.

A police raid on the couple in May resulted in a haul that revealed the extent of their lavish lifestyle. Authorities carting out dozens of suitcases stashed with cash, jewelry, and hundreds of designer purses.

Mansor will be charged on Thursday, according to Reuters.

The 1MDB investigation has also revealed ties to some of Hollywood’s famous faces. Leonardo Di Caprio and model Miranda Kerr were forced to return the gifts Jho Low, a financier and consultant to the 1MDB fund who is now on the run, gave to them.

Kerr returned jewels worth $8.1 million, while Di Caprio relinquished paintings from Basquiat and Picasso gifted by Low to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Don't Miss

Wife of Malaysian Ex-PM Arrested on Graft Charges

Recommended articles