KUALA LUMPUR – The high court was told today that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak received a gargantuan sum of RM2.973 billion from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in his account without any commercial or business justification.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, in his submissions, said it was revealed by the money-laundering investigation officer Supt Foo Wei Min that the diversion of monies from 1MDB to Najib’s Ambank account was done in three stages, with another police officer, D. Rajagopal, identifying the first and second transactions.
“A detailed money trail (check) conducted on Najib’s account found that the movement of monies from Good Star involving US$120 million (RM369,029,514) in five transactions between 2011 and 2012, Aabar stage US$170 million (RM523,389,779.96) through six transactions between 2011 and 2012 and the Tanore stage involving US$681 million (RM2,081,476,926) being transferred through two transactions in 2013.
“Applying the first-in, first-out financial valuation method on Najib’s Ambank account, the money trail shows that of the total RM2,973,896,219.96 received by Najib in account 9694, RM2,034,350,000 was returned to Tanore’s account.
“The balance monies of RM939,546,219.96 in account 9694 was transferred to be spent by the former prime minister in four broad categories,” he said at the hearing of the prosecution’s application for forfeiture of RM114,164,393.44 and jewellery seized from premises owned by Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd before judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin.
The prosecution filed the forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings to forfeit the items, including 11,991 units of jewellery, 401 watches and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of eyewear and 306 handbags, as well as cash in various denominations amounting to RM114,164,393.44.
The money and jewellery were seized by the authorities over links to the 1MDB scandal.
Najib and Umno are third parties in the application.
Saifuddin said in Umno’s case, its claim of the seized cash being political donations is, at best, disingenuous, for it is most bewildering for a party that once vehemently denied having any knowledge or connection with the monies to now stake a claim as its true master.
“The feeble claim advanced by Najib and Umno that the seized cash is political donations pales in comparison with the weight of evidence that suggests otherwise. No amount of finesse can whitewash the trace of wrongdoings stemming from the cash seized,” he said.
Counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represented Najib while lawyer Datuk Hariharan Tara Singh appeared for Umno.
The court adjourned the case to March 11 and 15 to hear submissions from Shafee and Hariharan. – Bernama, February 9, 2021
