KUALA LUMPUR: The police who started a search last night at the private residence of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Taman Duta here were still at the home up to noon today.
Bukit Aman Commercial CID director Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed this but declined to elaborate.
A man who claimed to be a neighbour of Najib was stopped by the police as he approached the house at 11.20 am.
Scores of reporters from the local and foreign media have been camping in the vicinity of the house since yesterday to monitor the developments.
Passing motorists slowed their vehicles to see what was going on or to snap photographs or record videos of the situation outside the residence.
More than 10 police vehicles, including a truck, arrived at the house at 10.15 pm yesterday after Najib had returned from attending ‘tarawih’ prayers at the Kampung Baru Mosque.
Najib’s lawyer Datuk Harpal Singh Grewal told reporters early today that several personal items such as handbags, clothes and gifts were removed from the house.
He said Najib and his family members extended their cooperation during the search, and that there were no arrests.
The police also searched another private residence of Najib, a luxury apartment in Jalan Raja Chulan.
Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor have been blacklisted by the Immigration Department and they are prohibited from leaving the country.
Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he expected charges to be filed against Najib following investigations into allegations against the former prime minister over the removal of hundreds of millions of US dollars from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund.
The Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Dr Mahathir defeated the Barisan Nasional headed by Najib in the general election on May 9. – Bernama