It is not about corruption, $681 million in the prime minister's account is a gift

Malaysia's state attorney's office announced that the $681 million transferred to the private account of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is a gift from the Saudi royal family and that it is not about corruption or a criminal offense, reports the Patria news agency.

The involvement of the Saudi royal family in the case is an unexpected twist in the scandal surrounding the mysterious transfer of funds and the problems of the struggling state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), whose advisory board is chaired by Najib.

"The results of the investigation show that it is not about bribery or embezzlement," said Chief Prosecutor Mohamed Apandi Ali at a hastily convened press conference where it was announced that Najib returned $620 million to the Saudi royal family because it was not spent.

"The reason for the donation to Prime Minister Najib was not offered; that is between him and the Saudi family," Apandi added.

He said that Najib did not commit any criminal offense according to three investigations initiated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency and that no further steps will be taken.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) earlier stated that it was a political donation from an unidentified Middle Eastern donor. The state attorney said he would recommend that the MACC halt all three investigations.

Najib, who has been called upon for months by opposition leaders and prominent public figures to resign, has claimed that he did nothing wrong and that he did not take the money for personal use, reports Index.