KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak did not disclose in any 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) board meetings that he had received millions from the country’s strategic investment company in his personal Ambank accounts, the high court today heard.
Former 1MDB chief financial officer (CFO) Azmi Tahir said he was also unaware that a company called Tanore Finance Corporation had transferred a total of US$681 million (RM2.98 billion) into Najib’s personal bank account ending with 694 between March 21, 2013 and April 10, 2013.
The 12th prosecution witness said this under re-examination by senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram in the former prime minister’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion funds from 1MDB.
Azmi was shown a series of bank transactions on 1MDB funds between 2013 and 2014 by Sri Ram, which the latter pointed out that another RM45.8 million from 1MDB funds entered into another Ambank personal account ending with 880.
Sri Ram: Do the 694 and 880 accounts belong to you?
Azmi: No. The accounts belong to Datuk Seri (Najib).
Earlier, Sri Ram was questioning the witness whether he had obtained financial benefit from 1MDB, to which Azmi answered negative.
Azmi also said he never obtained a single cent from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low throughout his tenure in the company.
Sri Ram then queried the witness whether Najib had called him up, as he was the CFO regarding the irregularities concerning the sovereign wealth fund after the matter was widely reported by the media.
Sri Ram: It was also put to you that you had never gone to raise your concerns (about the irregularities) to Najib when you could have done it several times. Throughout the time of 1MDB when you did what you were accused of (during your tenure as the CFO), did Najib ever reprimand you?
Azmi: No, never, in fact my contract was renewed.
Sri Ram: Could the accused call you up about irregularities?
Azmi: He could have, but I don’t recall that he called when the issues came up in the public and media. I don’t recall him calling us (the management) up to ask.
Sri Ram: Had he called for you, would you have gone?
Azmi: I don’t see how I could refuse.
Questioned further by Sri Ram, Azmi said he had never been reprimanded by Najib after carrying out every instruction from Jho Low, which he believed was an instruction from Najib himself.
Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. – Bernama, May 17, 2022
