Malaysia's anti-graft agency had recommended that Prime Minister Najib Razak be charged with criminal misappropriation, a source said, amid growing outrage after the premier was cleared of any offenses in a multimillion-dollar scandal.

Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali on Tuesday closed all investigations of Najib, after reviewing reports from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on a case that involved the transfer of $681 million into the prime minister's personal bank account.

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying the funds were a political donation and he did not take any money for personal gain. After he was cleared of any offenses by the country's chief law officer on Tuesday, he said the scandal had been "an unnecessary distraction".