A global 1MDB lesson, especially to Obama: Do not mix with shady characters or risk being tainted
Ha! Ha! Ha! The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) shit has hit the ceiling of the White House or the World Superpower.
Well, at least it has been proven to the world that there is an important lesson or reminder in life to all, political leaders and layman alike, that one should be careful if he or she chooses to mix with shady characters.
As for US President Barrack Obama, has he learnt his lesson and is he regretting? If you are a world leader or a leader of a nation, be careful who you choose to be buddy, buddy with.
That applies to everyone, especially public figures and those in the limelight. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is a case in point.
And it is truly amazing how the 1MDB shit has hit the world and to this level. Did Obama and his Department of Justice (DoJ) blunder globally by filing a civil suit to seize and recover the monies and assets linked to 1MDB’s allegedly multi-billion-dollar/ringgit money laundering international network?
Did Obama think he and his band could get away with this by just saying “we were aware of no allegations 1MDB was victim of theft”?
Like what fellow blogger syedsoutsidethebox penned: This is a lame excuse. It is not an excuse at all. Dealing in stolen property is a crime, whether you are aware of it or not.
So, now all those allegedly linked to 1MDB suspected money laundering transactions and banks can legally turn around and claim ignorance and get away with it?
Perhaps, 1MDB Prime Minister Najib Razak will be having the last laugh at everyone in the world over this scandal?
One thing is truly amazing. The free media in the world, especially those in the US and Europe, knows no limit to their investigative reporting.
They truly report without fear or favour, irrespective of whether you are the president of the United States.
Read these three stories for details about the above:
"DYNAMITE U.S.A – 1MDB WEAPON FOR DONALD TRUMP! BOTH HILLARY & OBAMA RECEIVED STOLEN MONEY FROM NAJIB & CO VIA BUSINESSMAN MARRIED TO MICHELLE’S SISTER
Politics | October 15, 2016 by | 0 Comments
MR TRUMP : OBAMA AND HILLARY BOTH RECEIVED STOLEN 1MDB MONEY
§ Frank White raised millions of dollars for Obama’s ’08, ’12 campaigns.
§ White listed on Hillary’s website as “Hillblazer”
§ he contributed at least US$100,000.
§ White donated $1m-$5m to Hillary Clinton Foundation, its website says
§ campaign official said Frank White hosted events for Hillary
I first blogged about this on Aug 10, 2016. Here is my blog title:
The following is by the Wall Street Journal from yesterday. It is going viral.
This is originally from The Wall Street Journal but it is taken from here :http://www.nasdaq.com/article/malaysian-fund-1mdb-linked-to-white-house-visit-20161013-01030
Malaysian Fund 1MDB Linked to White House Visit
October 13, 2016 By Dow Jones Business News
WASHINGTON : Msia’s govt-fund scandal, world’s biggest white-collar crime
connected to H’wood studio, high-end U.S. real estate and White House.
FBI looking into money (stolen) from 1MDB paid to Frank White
to arrange Oval Office visit for relatives of Najib
Frank White Jr. of DuSable Capital
Frank White raised funds for Obama and Hillary
1MDB paid US$69m (RM289m) to buy out DuSable unit
investigation of payments part of inquiry into 1MDB
several countries believe US$6b (RM25b) stolen from 1MDB
Frank White and DuSable have provided info to investigators
Frank White said 1MDB dealings “to earn support for M’sia in US.”
they were aware of no allegations 1MDB was “victim of theft”
(This is a lame excuse. It is not an excuse at all. Dealing in stolen property is a crime, whether you are aware of it or not.)
U.S.-M’sia ties warmed, 2014 Obama made 1st visit to M’sia by a president in 50 years.
(Correction : Obama visited M’sia TWICE within two years. The second time he stayed here for FOUR NIGHTS ?? Possibly talking money.)
July ’16 U.S. DOJ seized US$1b assets purchased from 1MDB fraud
Frank White’s M’sian connections on display in Dec 2013
White escorted son, stepson of Najib to White House
DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese accompanied them
to present Obama copy of “Wolf of Wall Street”
DOJ said film funded by money stolen from 1MDB
DiCaprio declined to comment.
Scorsese didn’t respond to requests.
Jho Low came up with solar-power project with cooperation of Frank White
Low said his efforts in arranging it helped Najib get closer to Obama
Obama golfed with Najib in Hawaii at Christmas 2014.
Najib’s office declined to comment on power project.
Low didn’t respond to comment requests.
White’s sister is married to cousin of Michelle Obama
White knew Jho Low through New York nightclub circles
in 2012 White was paid US$10m by MB Consulting, owned Jho Low’s partner
part of consulting agreement
Abu Dhabi partner declined to comment.
money embezzled from 1MDB sent to MB Consulting, DOJ stated
without saying where it went next.
(It went next to White, then to Obama and Hillary. Thats where it went)
May 2013 White formed DuSable with Shomik Dutta
Shomik is White House special asst. and 2012 Obama fundraiser
Shomik Dutta and Michel declined to comment.
2013 White registered DuSable as a lobbyist for 1MDB
DuSable “encourage U.S. govt to provide support” for solar project in M’sia
Dec. 18, 2013 White escorted Najib family on Oval Office visit, met Obama
April 2014: DuSable, 1MDB jointly develop solar project.
deal done without public tender
1MDB presented to board as “g-to-g” btwn M’sia and U.S.
Obama arrived in Malaysia on April 26, 2014.
4 months later, 1MDB buy out DuSable
Najib signed resolution to pay DuSable US$95m for project.
price renegotiated, 1MDB paid US$69 million
from 1MDB/DuSable joint statement last year.
Bradley Hope at bradley.hope@wsj.com
Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
My comments : Now we know why Obama visited Malaysia TWO TIMES in two years. Big money, money stolen from 1MDB had exchanged hands.
The fake solar project has not taken off. Tak jadi. Yet 1MDB “bought out” Frank White’s stake in the solar project for US$69 million or RM289 million. Najib signed the resolution to pay Frank White RM289 million.
This was the money that bought Obama’s TWO visits to Malaysia in two years.
Let us see if the FBI and the US DOJ will pursue this story by the Wall Street Journal.
The US presidential election is just 24 days away. Are the Trump people too dumb to pick this up?
– http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.my/ - Malaysia Chronicle"
“‘WE DIDN’T KNOW MONEY WAS STOLEN’: NOT GOOD ENOUGH HILLARY & OBAMA – US$79MIL OF 1MDB’S STOLEN BILLIONS TRACED TO WHITE HOUSE
Politics | October 15, 2016 by | 0 Comments
The billion-dollar corruption scandal engulfing 1MDB has taken on a political dimension: a star-studded delegation tied to the Malaysian state fund visited Barack Obama at the White House three years ago, according to a report. Was embezzled money used to underpin U.S.-Malaysia relations?
§ 1MDB: The Masterminds, the Swiss Bankers and the Hollywood Star
§ 1MDB: What You Need to Know
U.S. officials have led a global probe into graft and money-laundering from 1MDB, as well as confiscated more than $1 billion in assets that prosecutors claim were misappropriated from the fund.
New details emerge almost daily, and the most recent ones are embarrassing for the outgoing president: Frank B. White, a prominent Democratic fundraiser, who allegedly took millions in embezzled 1MDB funds, visited Barack Obama in the White House three years ago, «The Wall Street Journal» reported (behind pay-wall).
Malaysian, Hollywood Ties
Along for the ride during that visit were a son and the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak as well as Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, who directed the Hollywood start in «The Wolf of Wall Street».
Najib’s stepson, Riza Aziz, has since been named by U.S. officials investigating the scandal. He co-produced «Wolf» along with DiCaprio, who gave Obama a copy of the film during the visit.
The visit raises serious questions about the U.S.’ relationship to Malaysia, a key ally in Southeast Asia. It also raises the specter that money embezzled from the fund may have paid for lobbying to cement the U.S.-Malaysia relationship.
$79 Million from 1MDB
White received $10 million in illicit money from 1MDB, according to investigators cited by the newspaper. White’s firm, DuSable, is believed to have received a further $69 million in a solar deal thought up by Jho Low, who is named in U.S. documents detailing the alleged fraud.
Investigators believe «Wolf» was financed in part through money pilfered from 1MDB (see Bruno Manser Foundation graphic depicting alleged money flows below).
There is no evidence that Obama or the White House knew of White’s ties to 1MDB, or how «Wolf» was financed when the star-studded Malaysian delegation visited in 2013. The visit took place around the same time as Singapore’s regulator detected irregularities at several Swiss banks operating in the city-state, and ordered improvements.
Abu Dhabi Connection
At least two of them – Banca della Svizzera Italiana, or BSI, and Falcon Private Bank – failed, and were subsequently shut down by Singapore officials.
The now-reclusive Low and White, who founded DuSable with another Obama fundraiser and rap star Pras Michel, met through friends in the New York party circuit, according to the newspaper.
The ties outlined by the «WSJ» follow a now-familiar pattern of misappropriation at 1MDB: money was allegedly embezzled from the fund, then transferred to White by way of an undisclosed partner in Abu Dhabi.
Solar Deal Cements Ties
The same partner in Abu Dhabi allegedly sent money to White’s firm to buy out its share of a joint solar project conceived by Low.
The Malaysian credited the solar deal with helping Najib cozy up to Obama, according to sources. The White House visit took place shortly before the U.S. President hosted Najib for a round of golf in Hawaii in December 2014.
Low hasn’t been spotted since the scandal broke and is believed to be sailing off Hong Kong on a luxury yacht.
– http://www.finews.asia/ - Malaysia Chronicle"
"DON’T MIX WITH THIEVES INCLUDING NAJIB’S SON, JHO LOW: LEONARDO DICAPRIO TOLD TO QUIT AS UN MESSENGER OF PEACE
Politics | October 15, 2016 by | 0 Comments
A rainforest charity calls on the star to either denounce his connection to individuals involved in a Malaysian corruption scandal and return laundered money he allegedly received or give up his role.
In perhaps the biggest attack on Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental credibility, a rainforest charity on Friday called on the actor to give up his title as UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change.
At a press conference in London, the Bruno Manser Funds offered DiCaprio an ultimatum: either he renounce his connections to the “politically exposed persons” at the center of the multi-billion dollar 1MDB Malaysian corruption scandal now being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and return corrupt money he allegedly received or resign from the position he was given by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in 2014.
“If DiCaprio is unwilling to come clean, we ask him to step down as UN Messenger for Peace for climate change, because he simply lacks the credibility for such an important role,” said Lukas Straumann, director of the Switzerland-based charity, which has a particular focus on deforestation in Malaysia.
DiCaprio is alleged to have received millions of dollars diverted from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund for his role as star and producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, alleged by the DOJ to have been funded by stolen Malaysian money and produced by Red Granite, co-founded by Riza Aziz, the stepson of the Malaysian prime minister and a major figure in a DOJ filing. He is also alleged to have received laundered 1MDB money for his charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, from his former close associate Jho Low, the controversial Malaysian businessman at the heart of the scandal.
At the press conference, entitled “Recovery of Stolen Malaysian Assets,” a direct link was made between the 1MDB corruption scandal and major environmental issues in Malaysia, such as deforestation, one of the main concerns of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
Clare Rewcastle Brown, whose online Sawarak Report has been investigating corruption in Malaysia for several years, said that one of 1MDB’s first initiatives was to “pay off the chief minister of Sawarak,” the Malaysian state on the vast island of Borneo where the 30-year rule of controversial governor Abdul Taib Mahmud has seen deforestation on a grand scale. “When I saw what 1MDB money had been plowed into, this notoriously corrupt timber baron, I was immediately suspicious,” she said.
The press conference took place the morning DiCaprio was confirmed as attending the BFI London Film Festival for Saturday’s European premiere of his environmental documentaryBefore the Flood. DiCaprio had been invited to talk at the press conference via an open letter from the Bruno Manser Funds, but didn’t respond. A red chair and name plaque were present in his absence.
“We can’t save the environment if we fail to stop corruption,” said Straumann, who called DiCaprio’s criticism of deforestation in the Indonesia-controlled parts of Borneo, “cynical hypocrisy.”
“He needs to become part of the solution,” he added. “But today he is part of the problem.
THR has reached out to DiCaprio’s reps for comment. - Malaysia Chronicle"
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