KUALA LUMPUR – Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh told the high court here today that he did not complain on irregularities in 1MDB directly to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as it would be akin to implicating the former prime minister’s involvement.
The 68-year-old witness was being re-examined by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram in the former prime minister’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.
Sri Ram asked why at that point in time he did not make a complaint to the Finance Ministry and Najib about his own frustrations over what had happened in 1MDB.
Bakke replied that what restrained or discouraged him from doing that was because it would be like making a complaint against the then prime minister.
“Complaining on the loss of sheep to the wolf!” quipped Sri Ram.
Bakke: “That was the thing, because from the early part of my involvement as a board member, I was already uncomfortable.
“I had this feeling of discomfort, especially when I found out that the management had split the remittance, so that was the trigger. I felt very uncomfortable about the whole thing.
“And that prompted me to resign. I wanted to resign on the spot, go back to the PM and tell him what had happened and that I had my suspicions about him. I was not comfortable, and that was difficult.”
He further said that Najib had never asked him why he resigned from the company, although he had on many occasions met Najib after he left the company.
Sri Ram: “After you resigned, were you satisfied that he (Najib) was aware that you had resigned?”
Bakke: “Najib never asked me why I resigned. It was business as usual.”
Bakke was 1MDB chairman from September 2009 until October 19, 2009, when he resigned to protest the irregularities in 1MDB’s US$1 billion deal.
Earlier, when queried by Najib’s counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, the witness said he was unaware of whether the family of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz had gotten proceeds from the transactions of the sovereign wealth fund.
He said he became aware of the matter recently through the media reports.
Aizuddin: “Tan Sri, do you know that as of January 2022, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had been investigating Zeti, her husband and Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop under the Anti-Money Laundering Act?”
At this juncture, deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustafa P. Kunyalam stood up and objected to the lawyer’s question, as the question had nothing to do with the witness.
However, judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the question, as it was a general question.
Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues on June 7. – Bernama, May 19, 2022
