The luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's
former prime minister Wednesday faced a marathon questioning session by
investigators probing the multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped
topple her husband's government. Rosmah Mansor, widely reviled in
Malaysia due to her profligate spending and imperious manner, arrived at
the anti-corruption agency before 10:00 am (0200 GMT) and had still not
emerged nine hours later.
Local
media have reported that officials are wrapping up their probe into
Rosmah and her links to the alleged plundering of state fund 1MDB, and
she could be charged soon. It was the second time the 66-year-old has
been questioned by the graft-fighting body since her husband Najib
Razak's coalition was unexpectedly ousted from office at elections in
May after six decades in power. A major factor in the loss were
allegations that Najib, his family and his cronies looted billion of
dollars from 1MDB in an audacious fraud that stretched from Singapore to
Switzerland.
Najib was last week
hit with a barrage of money-laundering and abuse of power charges over
the scandal. It is alleged that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up
in his personal bank accounts. He denies any wrongdoing.
Rosmah's
love of costly overseas shopping trips, designer handbags and jewellery
made her a lightning rod for public anger, and fuelled suspicions that
she benefited from the plundering of 1MDB.
After
the election loss, a stash of cash, jewellery and hundreds of designer
handbags worth as much as $273 million was seized from properties linked
to Najib in raids around Kuala Lumpur.
Rosmah
is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a
thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President
Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in 1986.
Najib's
fall from grace has been swift since he lost power to a reformist
alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who is in his second stint as
premier.