Datuk Seri Najib Razak expressed his belief that the raids were pursuant to a police report lodged by former Umno member Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan about 1MDB in late 2014 and before the scandal exploded into the world stage. — Picture by Ham Abu Bakar

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak asserted today that the police raids that netted an estimated RM1 billion in cash and luxury goods from residences linked to him were based on a report from 2014.

Commenting on the 2019 court date set for Umno’s lawsuit to claim around RM116 million in various currencies seized as part of the raids, he also insisted that the cash did not belong to him.

The former Umno president expressed his belief that the raids were pursuant to a police report lodged by former Umno member Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan about 1MDB in late 2014 and before the scandal exploded into the world stage.

“Why were the raids in May 2018, which was seven months ago, executed based on a police report from 2014. You have to ask the Pakatan Harapan government that.

“The funds were only at Pavilion (Residences) for two days before they were seized by police based on the report,” he wrote on Facebook.

He also said Umno urgently needed access to those funds as it must pay for its daily operations as well as expenses from the general election campaign.

Najib asserted that the police would not provide documents related to the seizure or a copy of the police report that was used as the basis for the raids.

The High Court has set February 11 next year to hear Umno’s lawsuit against the government and the police to claim the RM116 million seized from Najib.

The party filed the lawsuit in October claiming that the cash in 26 different currencies belonged to the party.

Various investigations were launched against Najib after he led Barisan Nasional to its only ever election defeat, resulting in 38 charges of money laundering, corruption and criminal breach of trust against him so far.

Several other former government officials have also been charged since then, as has Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is on trial for both money laundering and corruption.