Malaysian police raid properties of former PM Najib

May 17 (UPI) -- Malaysian police raided former Prime Minister Najib Razak's properties late Wednesday, seizing handbags, clothes and gifts.

Najib, who had just returned from evening prayers at the time of the raids, cooperated with police. The new government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is investigating the 64-year-old, who was voted out of office last week, over a corruption scandal regarding a state fund he created called 1MDB. The fund sent hundreds of billions of dollars to Najib's personal accounts, prompting investigations in the U.S., Switzerland and Singapore.

Less than two days after Mahathir was sworn in, Najib tried to leave the country, apparently for Indonesia. Malaysia's government prevented him and his wife Rosmah Mansor from leaving the country. The government's immigration department said they were blacklisted from leaving Malaysia.

The former prime minister has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Datuk Harpal Singh Grewal, said there was no indication of impending arrests.

Through his lawyer, Najib complained about "unwarranted harassment" during the raid as police drilled into a safe that had not been opened for 20 years, causing the family to have no peace and quiet.

"This harassment has now continued for almost 18 hours and nothing meaningful has come from the search and seizure of what would appear to be insignificant personal items," his lawyer said.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Amar Singh confirmed the raids but did not elaborate, only saying that authorities were searching for documents and other evidence.