Did the 1MDB task force discuss charging Najib Razak?

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The 1MDB Task Force Discussed Charging Najib Razak

A former police investigator testified in the High Court that the government's 1MDB task force, chaired by then Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, had indeed discussed charging former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Senior Assistant Commissioner R. Rajagopal, who was part of the police's 1MDB investigation team, confirmed that he informed then Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) official Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad about this discussion in 2015. The prosecution had previously presented a transcript of an audio recording indicating that Dzulkifli informed Najib about the task force's deliberations in a phone call on January 5, 2016.
Task Force Discussions and Briefings

Rajagopal stated that as an investigator, he briefed Dzulkifli about various cases in an official capacity as part of his work with the AGC. He confirmed that during a meeting in 2015, he informed Dzulkifli that the task force had discussed charging Najib, referencing the money found in Najib's bank account. Rajagopal considered this an official communication, as Dzulkifli was a Deputy Public Prosecutor within the AGC at the time. He also confirmed that Dzulkifli did not provide any directions as a result of this briefing that were outside the law, nor did he suggest slowing down the investigation into Najib.
Najib Identified as a Suspect

Rajagopal confirmed that Najib became a suspect in the police's 1MDB investigation because money traceable to 1MDB was found in his bank account. His investigation also considered Najib's position as the shareholder who signed off on board decisions for 1MDB. Rajagopal indicated that the scope of his investigation did not extend to Najib's claims about the money being donations from Saudi Arabia, as that aspect was being handled by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Task Force Disbandment and Subsequent Events

The 1MDB task force was disbanded following the termination of Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in July 2015. Dzulkifli Ahmad, who was the director of the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team (NRRET) within the AGC, later served as the MACC chief from August 2016 until mid-May 2018. Rajagopal had been involved in the police's 1MDB investigation since its inception and took over as the lead investigating officer for criminal breach of trust related to 1MDB in September 2015.

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Did the 1MDB task force discuss charging Najib Razak?

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