Former Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Professor Datuk Syed Omar Al-Saggaf, told the Putrajaya High Court that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was excited when the Saudi monarch decided to provide financial assistance to Malaysia.
The 81-year-old retiree said this took place during an unofficial meeting between the former prime minister and King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud on Jan 11, 2010.
“He looked excited when he approached me (after his meeting with the Saudi king ended),” he said, when questioned about the meeting he attended.
In this trial, Najib claimed that the over RM2 billion that had entered his private bank accounts was not money belonging to 1MDB, insisting that the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia that King Abdullah had promised to him.
Syed Omar testified he was part of the Malaysian delegation that accompanied Najib to the Middle Eastern kingdom and that the witness was standing a distance from where Najib and King Abdullah were in deep discussion.
The fifth defence witness stated that the closed-door meeting was held at King Abdullah's palace a day before Najib's official visit to the Gulf country.
Asked by deputy public prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar what the term financial aid meant, Syed Omar replied: “What it is, I don’t know, I just know there is financial aid, but in what form, I don’t know.”
Syed Omar recalled Najib telling him, "Kita sudah berjaya (we have succeeded)."
In his written witness statement, Syed Omar had said he was made to understood by Najib himself that King Abdullah had offered help in the form of money that would be sent for Najib’s use for his political use for the coming election.
However, during cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar, Syed Omar admitted that he was unaware of the specific nature of the financial assistance Najib had referred to.
Najib faces four charges of using his position to obtain RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Najib’s 1MDB trial resumes this Wednesday. – February 10, 2025
