‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Producer Riza Aziz Arrested In Malaysia, Will Face Money Laundering Charges

Almost a year to the day that former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by anti-corruption investigators over his alleged role in dodgy financing deals linked to 2013 Hollywood hit The Wolf Of Wall Street and others, his stepson Riza Aziz has now been arrested. Riza, the founder and CEO of Red Granite Pictures, was detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission this afternoon local time, according to the Malay Mail.

Although he was released later on bail, Riza is due in court tomorrow to face charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

Per local reports, Riza is expected to be charged as the owner of Red Granite Pictures for receiving laundered money from Good Star Ltd, a company associated with fugitive financier Low Taek Jho.

Last year, a government task force said Najib’s arrest was connected to a suspicious multi-million-dollar transfer into his bank account from SRC International, a former subsidiary of the fund known as 1MDB. Riza was also questioned by the same Malaysian authorities in 2018.

1MDB is the fund U.S. investigators have alleged was used to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars into private investments for Najib and his family including the funding of the Martin Scorsese hit and other films on the Red Granite slate. Following the stateside investigation, Red Granite in 2018 agreed to pay back $60M to the U.S. government but has denied any intentional wrongdoing.