Let the police decide on my tax penalty case, Najib tells critics

Let the police decide on my tax penalty case, Najib tells critics



FIRING back at his critics, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged all quarters to let the police complete their investigation on his tax penalty case before jumping into any conclusions.

“Let the police investigate and decide whether the penalty sum levelled against me was deliberately manipulated to bankrupt me and end my political career.

“In my view, the police would not have opened a file on my case unless they found something amiss,” he said in a Facebook post.

On Sept 8, Najib lodged a police report against the IRB director-general and several of its officers for allegedly “over-taxing” him.

In a Facebook post, Najib also said he had forwarded evidence against IRB to the police, claiming several IRB officers had abused their authorities and falsified documents in a tax case against him.

The Pekan MP also alleged that there was a “top IRB official” who ordered the tax penalties to be levelled against him, at the behest of certain politicians.

Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department director Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din confirmed that the police were investigating the matter under Section 468 of the Penal Code.

DAP MP RSN Rayer then urged the ex-premier not to “bully” IRB officers, which the latter retaliated by challenging the former to bring his own experts to review the case.

“Weaponising” IRB

Elaborating on the matter, Najib said he had tried several times to settle his tax penalty dispute with the IRB amounting to RM1.7 bil in court. His contention was whether the sum was accurate or was calculated wrongly.

However, he lamented the fact that the courts keep ruling that they do not have the power to make a ruling on the matter and urged him to file an appeal with the Income Tax Special Commissioner.

“But I was not given the opportunity to dispute the calculation in court and with the Special Commissioner, as IRB adheres to the ‘pay first, discuss later’ policy”.

“So, I was told to pay RM1.7 bil first and file an appeal later. If I don’t pay up, they can render me bankrupt.

“I want people to understand that such policy can be weaponised to victimise anyone using absurd tax calculation. Plus, the court and the Special Commissioner can’t help your either,” the Pekan MP remarked. – Sept 25, 2021