Malaysian prosecutors dropped money laundering charges Thursday against Riza Aziz, the producer of “Wolf of Wall Street.”
Aziz, the stepson of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, reached a settlement with the government Thursday and was released without being acquitted, according to a report published by the Associated Press. Prosecutors will be allowed to renew the charges, the Associated Press reported.
Human Rights Watch on Friday slammed the move to drop the charges as a “triumph for impunity and corruption” https://t.co/WwG8xVT5EY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 15, 2020
The government will receive $107.3 million involved in the case. The “Wolf of Wall Street” producer was accused of laundering $248 million from the 1MDB state investment fund. Aziz will also be required to pay a fine.
Aziz was reportedly the third person in his family charged in the money laundering scheme that ended Razak’s government rule in Malaysia. Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor also face charges and are currently on trial. (RELATED: Judge Orders Paul Manafort Released From Prison To Home Confinement)
Former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad claimed he was worried that the conclusion of the case could set the precedent that “thieves will be let off if they return the stolen money.”
The Human Rights Watch slammed Aziz’s release.
“Riza Aziz walking free is a triumph for impunity and corruption, and running roughshod over the rights and interests of the Malaysian people,” Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, said, according to the Associated Press.