KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — No Umno member has so far come forward to claim part of the RM 114.5 million cash seized from raids at properties linked to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in police investigations on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Bukit Aman said today.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Commissioner Datuk Seri Amar Singh told a press conference this morning that no one from the political party has written any letter to his department. 

"If they (Umno) say so, they should come forward with evidence. We will record their statement and investigate,” he said at Bukit Aman, where he revealed the final valuation of cash, designer handbags, jewellery and luxury items seized from properties linked to Najib to be RM1.1 billion.

On May 24, Umno requested the police to return the money confiscated from former president Najib’s house on Jalan Langgak Duta on May 17, claiming it was part of the party’s campaign funds.

The Umno strategic communications unit said the funds were obtained from donations for the 14th general election and were also meant for Umno’s management.

Its statement had read, “Umno is working to restore these funds and requests that the police release the funds to the party as soon as the authorities complete their investigations.

“Umno is now in the process of rebuilding the party and the return of these funds will help strengthen the rebuilding process,” it added.

Citing the Umno constitution, the unit said the party president was nominally responsible for sourcing and managing funds for the party, including funds for the general election.

“Political donations are an accepted fact for all parties in this country and Umno is no different, where our former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak obtained campaigning funds before GE14, and also management funds,” the statement further read.

On May 25, Amar disclosed that the final count of cash contained in the 35 bags seized from three units at the Pavillion Residences was a whopping RM114 million in 26 different currencies.

Additionally, another half a million ringgit in cash was recovered from Najib’s home in Jalan Duta.

The value of the foreign notes were based on present exchange rates.

It took police three days to count all the cash, from May 21 to 23, following the seizure on May 18, in which they took the 72 bags along with 284 designer handbags.

Police sat with Bank Negara and Bank Islam audit officers to finalise the count, using 11 machines and with the help of 21 officers from the bank sectors.

https://www.malaymail.com/s/1646067/police-say-nobody-from-umno-has-claimed-money-from-1mdb-raids