“How can what we have done be deemed as political conspiracy?” he asked.

In the article’s footnote, the newspaper’s publisher stated that the content was based on evidence corroborated by documents that included bank transfers and statements, which would be handed over to the relevant authorities.

The Edge on Monday published a four-page article alleging that 1MDB and a joint venture partner, PetroSaudi global, had cheated Malaysia of billions of ringgit. He said this would likely be the last report on the matter and that it would be handing over whatever it had to the agencies investigating 1MDB.

In an immediate response, 1MDB in a statement slammed The Edge Financial Daily over the report, saying it was “old, unsubstantiated and recycled”.

The Edge also claimed that PSI acted fraudulently when setting up the JV, by pledging oilfield assets in Turkmenistan that it never owned, as its US$1.5 billion contribution to the company.

Among the highlights of The Edge report is that US$700 million from 1MDB’s initial US$1 billion investment in the JV allegedly went instead to Good Star Limited, which the daily claimed was controlled by Low at the time.

The JV was called off in 2011, and 1MDB never got back the US$1.83 billion.

The special force team which is probing into the financial scandal includes officers from the Attorney General’s office, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Bank Negara Malaysia.

The task force has frozen bank accounts and raided the headquarters of 1MDB since the July 3 allegation by WSJ that US$700 million linked to the debt-laden firm was deposited in private accounts belonging to Mr Najib. This were the alleged assets 1MDB had in the Cayman Islands. The strategic fund has also sacked two auditors, KPMG and Ernst & Young, during the period.

It went on to explain how 1MDB was now trying to cover the hole caused by the venture with PetroSaudi by paying termination fees of around US$2.22 billion to Aabar Investments to retire options issued to the latter.