Special task force renamed, but not probing into 1MDB, says AGC

The Attorney-General's Chambers says a special task force will continue to investigate money-related crimes but it will not be involved in the probe into 1MDB. – Photo courtesy of Wikimapia, August 25, 2015.Putrajaya is keeping a special task force investigating money-related crimes under a new name but it will not handle investigations into the debt-laden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and its related companies, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said today.

The AGC said the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team (NRRET) is a rebranded version of the previous task force that was first formed in 2011.

"NRRET is not a new task force but is a rebranding of the previous special task force that has been in existence since 2011," the AGC said in a statement today.

"NRRET is not in any way involved with any investigations involving 1MDB and its related companies."

The AGC said the "aims of NRRET remain the same, which is to assist the government in dealing with evasion of custom duties and tax by individuals and corporate bodies, smuggling activities, misuse of subsidised goods, illegal outflow of funds, and acts of corruption.

It said the NRRET comprised AGC, Royal Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), Royal Malaysia Customs Department (RMCD), Ministry of Domestic Trade Cooperatives and Consumerism (MTDCC) and the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM).

"NRRET primarily streamlines and coordinates the integrated multi-agency enforcement actions with regards to the aforementioned issue," said AGC's statement.

The team was rebranded after Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali was named to the job last month.

Critics had spoken out against Apandi's appointment as head of NRRET, saying that country's top prosecutor should not be part of the investigation team.

They had said that the A-G, who is the public prosecutor overseeing criminal prosecution, should never be part of any investigating team, adding that a prosecutor's role was only to review investigation papers and decide whether there was sufficient evidence to charge persons under applicable laws.

- TMI