KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the sole authorised personnel for an AmBank basic current account that was opened with a RM500 deposit on January 13, 2011, the high court here heard today.
AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi, in her witness statement today confirmed that only Najib could issue checks and manage transactions from the account ending with -694, among others.
She added that Najib only appointed former SRC International Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff as an “authorised personnel” or mandate holder for his accounts ending with 481 and 694 on March 10, 2011, and again on July 31, 2013, for his accounts ending with 880, 898 and 906.
This included overseeing hundreds of millions of ringgit in transactions between 2011 and 2012.
Testifying as the 36th prosecution witness in Najib’s 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) corruption trial today, Uma Devi said all five accounts were opened at AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan.
For all of these accounts, Nik Faisal was given the power to inquire about their status, account details – including the remaining balance – and verify cheque transactions over RM250,000.
On August 26, 2013, Najib had written to the branch bank manager again to inform that Nik Faisal was given the mandate to issue draft or cashier’s orders from the 880, 898 and 906 accounts and to give instructions to AmBank Group Treasury for the purpose of treasury deposits or money market placements.
“This letter had also confirmed that Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak was responsible for all transactions as (they were) conducted by him personally,” said Uma Devi.
On the same day, Najib ordered the bank to transfer RM150,000,000 out of the account ending with 694 to the account ending with 880.
A balance of RM 12,436,711.87 was also credited to the account ending with 880 when Najib had closed the accounts ending with 481 and 694 on August 30, 2013.
On the first day of the trial, the prosecution said it would show that 1MDB funds had been transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20 million (RM90 million) in the first phase, US$30 million (second phase), US$681 million (third phase), and transactions in British pounds that were equivalent to RM4,093,500 and RM45,837,485.70 for a combined total of RM49,930,985.70, or over RM49 million (fourth phase).
In the trial, Najib is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.28 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will continue next Monday (September 12). – The Vibes, September 8, 2022
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