KUALA LUMPUR: Documents and witness statements needed in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) probe involving Datuk Dr Tawfiq Ayman must be acquired through Mutual Legal Assistance if they are to be made admissible in court, says Bukit Aman.

       Tawfiq, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, is being investigated over allegations he received funds related to 1MDB.

       Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said a team of investigators had a series of meetings with their counterparts from the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department between March 29 and 31.

       “They gave us their full cooperation during our meetings.

       “Based on these meetings, we have identified documents and witness statements needed for our probe,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       He said to ensure that these documents and statements can be used in court, they must go through a process of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).

       “We have referred the case to the AGC for further action under MLA,” he added.

       It was reported in March that several witnesses in Singapore had agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into 1MDB, including Dr Tawfiq.

       Comm Mohd Kamarudin was quoted as saying that several witnesses would be interviewed, including bank officers.

       Tawfiq is also being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in an ongoing probe. Its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said his agency’s task in the matter was to repatriate funds from Singapore, while the police were conducting the criminal probe.

       In March last year, it was reported that Tawfiq was being investigated by the police after 1MDB-linked funds were said to have been transferred to his Singapore-based bank account.

       The case is being probed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Prevention of Financing of Terrorism and Proceeds From Illegal Activities Act 2001.

       In November, the MACC revealed that Singapore had repatriated US$15.4mil (RM64.3mil) in 1MDB-linked funds that involved Tawfiq’s company to Malaysia.