PUTRAJAYA – The Court of Appeal was today told that only fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, can give an answer to why SRC International Sdn Bhd funds ended up in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bank accounts.
The former prime minister’s lawyer, Harvinderjit Singh, said this when asked by judge Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil why millions was transferred into his client’s accounts.
Karim: Why was the RM5 million and RM27 million deposited into Najib’s accounts?
Harvinderjit: Only Jho Low can answer it. But, we can tell you that the RM27 million was put into Najib’s account because (former AmBank relationship manager) Joana Yu Ging Ping said the account balance was low.
The judge, who presided over the appeal along with justices Datuk Has Zanah Mehat and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, questioned Harvinderjit on Low’s involvement in SRC International, as the businessman did not hold any post in the company.
Karim: Jho Low (was) not an officer and (had) nothing to do with SRC. When did Jho Low get involved? But, you are saying Jho Low gave instructions to Joana Yu, she was in communication with Jho Low. Suddenly, Jho Low appeared?
Harvinderjit: The reason Jho Low appeared was because of the cheque. Jho Low could transfer money out of SRC through former SRC director Terence Geh.
Karim: Are you saying the late Datuk Azlin Alias (Najib’s former principal private secretary) had nothing to do with that? Everything was (by) Jho Low?
Harvinderjit: Yes.
Azlin died in a helicopter crash in April 2015.
Harvinderjit submitted that Low was involved in the convoluted monetary trail involving accounts belonging to SRC International, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd and Najib.
He contended that Low and several others played a part in fund transfers involving Najib’s accounts, and that the former prime minister had no knowledge of this.
“Why would the (then) prime minister knowingly take money from a government-linked company and put it in his accounts?”
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28 last year sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power in relation to RM42 million in SRC International monies.
The hearing of the appeal continues. – Bernama, April 7, 2021
