KUALA LUMPUR: Police have almost completed their first phase of investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
The second phase, expected to start soon, will see officers from the Federal police headquarters deployed overseas to acquire documents related to the probe and to record statements from witnesses abroad.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said investigators have so far recorded statements from more than 25 witnesses.
These include former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azhar Ibrahim Halmi.
"The first phase involves analysing documents and recording statements from witnesses in Malaysia.
"The next step is to send our officers overseas to acquire more documents and record statements from witnesses abroad.
"This will take time. Everybody wants us to do a good job, so we have to do it properly which requires time," he told reporters at the Police Training Centre in Jalan Semarak, here, Thursday.
Khalid said the investigation is expected to enter the second phase soon after they tie up all loose ends.
He said the team will start their probe overseas after receiving the go-ahead from the witnesses.
"We are not going to go witch-hunting. We must make arrangements for them to be prepared before we meet them, record their statements and study the documents."
On the US Department of Justice's civil proceedings regarding 1MDB and alleged money-laundering activities concerning the corporation, Khalid said he would not comment on civil procedures.
He however said that police were not consulted nor (officially) informed by the US Justice Department on the matter.
"We are not involved in civil matters brought up by anyone.
"This is not criminal probe (by the DOJ). We are only concerned with criminal matters."
Asked on whether police's probe includes the prime minister's stepson Riza Aziz and businessman Low Taek Jho (better known as Jho Low), who are among the subjects of the DOJ's civil proceedings, Khalid said both of them "are within the purview of our investigations".
To a question of whether police are working towards locating Riza and Jho Low, he said "We know what to do. It is our job."
Khalid also lambasted those who questioned the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) report on 1MDB after it had been completed, likening it to the Malay proverb 'rumah sudah siap pahat masih berbunyi'.
He said certain quarters must remember that the contents of Auditor-General's report on 1MDB published by the blog Sarawak Report had already been incorporated in the PAC report.
"I want to say here that during the preparations of the PAC report, PAC had the opportunity to summon witnesses during the probe and during the presentation of the Auditor-General's report.
"Why is it only now that questions are raised? Just because Sarawak Report published the AG's report, we should not forget that it had already been presented to PAC and PAC had discussed it thorougly before issuing its findings and their five recommendations," he said.
Khalid said the people should not listen to Sarawak Report, as the latter only intends to "create chaos."