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1MDB scandal: Malaysia drops money laundering charges against Najib Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz

  • ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ producer was discharged not amounting to acquittal after he agreed to a US$107.3 million settlement with the government
  • Riza had been accused of receiving US$248.17 million in illegal proceeds that came from 1MDB

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Hollywood producer Riza Aziz. Photo: EPA-EFE
Malaysian prosecutors on Thursday dropped money laundering charges linked to the 1MDB scandal against one of the producers of Hollywood hit “The Wolf of Wall Street” after he agreed a settlement with the government.
Riza Aziz, who is also the stepson of the country’s disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, was arrested in July for allegedly receiving nearly US$250 million from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
Billions of dollars were looted from the fund and spent on everything from a yacht to pricey art in a huge fraud that spanned the globe, and allegedly involved Najib and his cronies.
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But a judge agreed to give Riza a discharge not amounting to an acquittal – meaning the charges have been dropped – after he agreed a settlement with the government, prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib said.

As part of the deal, the government is set to recover US$107.3 million of overseas assets involved in the case and Riza is required to pay a compound, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

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“If there is satisfactory completion of the agreement then appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that the accused obtains a full acquittal,” the prosecution team said in an earlier statement. Otherwise, prosecutors have the right to reinstate the charges.

The agreement between Riza and the prosecution was agreed by former Attorney General Tommy Thomas, the anti-graft agency said in an emailed statement.

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