DoJ Slammed for Mentioning US$27.3M Diamond for “Wife of MO1”

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The rising decibel of criticism levelled at the DoJ’s allegation that Jho Low bought a 22-carat pink diamond necklace worth US$27.3 million for the “wife of MO1”.

Rahman’s grouses:

  • Unnecessary to implicate Rosmah if no plans to seize diamond
  • Who in Malaysia collaborated with DoJ?
  • DoJ statements will be abused by opposition in coming election

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan criticised the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for mentioning the purchase of diamonds by the wife of “Malaysian Official One” (MO1) if it had no intention to seize the items.

Referring to the 251-page document filed by the DoJ last Thursday in seeking to seize assets it said were bought using funds stolen from 1MDB, Rahman said such “unnecessary” details were insinuating at Prime Minister Najib Razak’s wife, Rosmah Mansor. He said it gave the impression that Rosmah did something wrong.

“But in the documents you submitted, you didn’t include the diamond as one of the items that you plan to seize.

“(So) it was unnecessary to mention (MO1’s wife and the diamond) there,” he said.

Rosmah was not named in the DoJ’s civil forfeiture suit.

The filings, however, said Jho Low had bought a 22-carat pink diamond necklace worth US$27.3 million for the “wife of MO1”.

Last year, Rahman reportedly said that it was “obvious” that MO1, which the DoJ said was a reference to a high-ranking 1MDB official, was the prime minister.

Asked by reporters if he still believed Najib was indeed MO1, Rahman replied that he already talked about it “many times before” and as such, there was “no need to talk about it again”.

He said the DoJ had “rushed” into publishing the details despite its investigation still ongoing, and questioned who in Malaysia had collaborated with the agency.

“I’m wondering (because) you still have an investigation going on, yet you come out with statements that are so flamboyant, over the top, and full of insinuations.

“You have to remember, you’re talking about a country that is about to go into an election, and you know this kind of statements will be fully utilised and abused by the opposition.

“So I had really hoped the DoJ would have exercised some restraint,” said Rahman.

He added that the manner in which the findings were publicised was “uncalled for”.

“(It was) very high-handed, very much political, and rhetorical, rather than based on legal and (the) presumption that people are not guilty (until they are found guilty).

“After all, this case has not been brought to court yet. But you have the DoJ coming up with statements alluding to certain facts of the case, which I thought is very unprofessional.

“Is it because you think the elections are after Raya? It’s not very nice. That’s all we’re saying.”

Rahman also urged the DoJ to reveal the identities of Malaysians who filed complaints on alleged misappropriation linked with 1MDB.