THE High Court was informed today that Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh, the former chairman of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), was dissatisfied with the diversion of US$700 million from the sovereign wealth fund's assets in 2009.
R. Rajagopal, a former investigating officer with 1MDB and the ex-head of Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), testified that Mohd Bakke had voiced his displeasure about the diversion during the recording of his statement as part of an ongoing investigation.
Rajagopal, who was called as the 11th defence witness, responded to questions posed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, during the trial concerning the alleged misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.
“He (Mohd Bakke) said that he and the board were unhappy about the nature of the US$1 billion joint venture agreement signed between 1MDB and Petrosaudi International Limited (PSI) in September 2009, as well as the subsequent diversion of US$700 million allocated for the joint venture,” Rajagopal explained.
The former officer added that the US$700 million had ultimately been redirected to Good Star Limited, a company owned by the fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.
On 30 October of the previous year, Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah ruled that Najib must enter his defence, after determining that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.
Najib, aged 71, faces 25 charges in total, including four counts of abusing his position to accept RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering linked to the same amount.
The trial continues tomorrow. – March 25, 2025
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