Police said today they have yet to verify whether the money seized from the properties linked to Najib Abdul Razak belongs to Umno, as claimed by certain quarters.
This included Najib himself, the Umno headquarters, Umno veteran Shahrir Abdul Samad and Umno supreme council member Bung Moktar Radin.
“We won’t know. The word ‘Umno’ wasn’t printed on the money,” Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Commissioner Amar Singh said.
At a media conference in Kuala Lumpur today, Amar said if there were parties that claimed the money belonged to Umno, police would like to record their statement and investigate the claim.
“But so far, nobody has come forward,” he said.
On May 25, Amar disclosed that the final count of cash contained in the 35 bags seized from three condo units at the Pavillion Residences was a whopping RM114 million in 26 different currencies.
Additionally, another half a million ringgit in cash was recovered from Najib’s home in Jalan Duta.
The value of the foreign notes was based on present exchange rates.
Last month, the Umno communications team said the party was seeking to recover party funds it said were seized by police while it was in the process of being transferred to the party’s acting leadership following Najib’s resignation as president.
The team said the funds were obtained from donations for the 14th general election and were also meant for Umno’s management.
Its statement had read, “Umno is working to restore these funds and requests that the police release the funds to the party as soon as the authorities complete their investigations.
“Umno is now in the process of rebuilding the party and the return of these funds will help strengthen the rebuilding process,” it added.
Citing the Umno constitution, the unit said the party president was nominally responsible for sourcing and managing funds for the party, including funds for the general election.
“Political donations are an accepted fact for all parties in this country and Umno is no different, where our former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak obtained campaigning funds before GE14, and also management funds,” the statement further read.
The team said that when Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down as Umno president, he had also handed back RM1.2 billion to the party and its three million members.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun had said Umno must go through the proper channels to recover funds seized by police which the party is staking a claim to, as any such claim must be pursued by following proper procedures based on the rule of law.