Jakarta paper claims PM’s future in-law has ties to Russian mafia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Indonesia’s top newspaper alleged today that the Kazakh mother of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s future son-in-law is linked to the Russian mafia.
Kompas, the most widely-read newspaper in Indonesia, published a column today that also questioned whether the controversies surrounding Rosmah would lead to “change and democratisation in Malaysia.”

The newspaper did not substantiate its claims, but the column today was published amid a tussle between Najib and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for influence in Indonesia following the Bersih rally last month.

Umno had despatched its secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor to Jakarta last month to explain Putrajaya’s crackdown on Bersih activists after Indonesian media criticised Malaysia.

Last week, Anwar also made a trip to Jakarta.

In the column, the newspaper described Rosmah’s ties with soon-to-be in-law Maira Nazarbayev as close although it provided no evidence to back its claims.

“Maira Nazarbayev, who lives a lifestyle ala Imelda Marcos supposedly has links to the Russian mafia,” the paper said.

Maira is the former wife of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev’s brother Bolat Nazarbayev.

Nooryana Najwa, the 22-year-old daughter of Rosmah (picture) and Najib, was recently betrothed to Maira’s son, Daniyar, who was her college sweetheart.

According to claims on the Internet, Maira has had several run-ins with the law in Kazakhstan.

The Kompas article today also highlighted recent allegations that Rosmah had purchased a multimillion ringgit diamond ring from world-renowned jeweller Jacob & Co, whose founder, Jacob Arabo, has also tangled with the law in the US for money laundering activities.

“Will this USD$24 million (RM71.15 million) ring open the doors to change and democratisation in Malaysia? Only Malaysians can decide,” Kompas said.
L
ast week, Rosmah denied that she bought the RM24 million Jacob & Co diamond ring but her public denial has thrown a spotlight on the jeweller’s alleged money-laundering activities.

Questions have now arisen as to whether the name of the wife of Najib had been used without her knowledge by criminal elements as part of illegal activities.