Malaysian PM cleared of graft after $620m in his account are declared a Saudi 'gift'

Malaysia's attorney-general has cleared Prime Minister Najib Razak of any criminal offences or corruption, closing investigations into a murky multi-million-dollar funding scandal that his opponents had hoped would bring him down. Najib was buffeted last year by allegations of graft and mismanagement at the debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and by a revelation that about $681 million was deposited into his personal bank account. But Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali said the transfer was a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family, adding that no further action needed to be taken on the matter. Opposition party leaders denounced the finding, saying the appointment of the attorney-general by the prime minister in the midst of the crisis suggested a conflict of interest. But analysts said it was a victory for Najib that would allow him to focus on winning the next election in 2018. "The AG's statement today pretty much allows the government to move on ... As far as things are legally concerned, the prime minister is in the clear," said Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center. Apandi told a news conference no criminal...

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