KUALA LUMPUR: An investigating officer in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's case involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds, told the High Court today that the former premier had wanted to answer the questions regarding some transactions in his personal bank accounts in court.
Assistant Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division ACP Foo Wei Min said that during interrogation in October 2018, Najib said he decided to answer the questions involving five cheques for five payouts from his account because he was already charged with money laundering on Sept 20, 2018.
The five cheques were for transactions happening in Najib's account in 2013, namely a cheque of RM20 million for UMNO on Aug 2; RM100,000 for Batu Kawan UMNO on Aug 7; RM246,000 for property tycoon Lim Soon Peng on Aug 7; RM2 million for Orb Solutions Sdn Bhd on Aug 12; and RM303,000 for Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd on Aug 14.
Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was reading out excerpts from Najib's statement to Foo, where the Pekan MP said: "I am ready to answer (the questions) if I' have not been charged, but since I was already charged, I believe it contravenes the legal system. So, I will answer in court."
When questioned by Muhammad Shafee, Foo said he interrogated Najib on Oct 3, 2018, which was around two weeks after Najib was hauled to court for 1MDB charges.
COURT-NAJIB (1MDB) 2 KUALA LUMPUR
Further questioned by the lawyer, the 48th prosecution witness denied that there was a higher power who instructed him to ask Najib about the transactions after the politician had been charged.
Muhammad Shafee: I put it to you that you were directed by somebody above you...he doesn't have to be from the police force. This is purely and purportedly only to satisfy the requirement of the law.
Foo: This is part of the investigation for the Tanore phase so, I have the duty and responsibility to ask these questions, as an investigating officer.
Muhammad Shafee: I put it to you that you feel compelled to ask because you realised not questioning him on the matter of the charge went beyond a principle of fair trial.
Foo: No.
Meanwhile, during the afternoon proceeding, Muhammad Shafee contended Najib had no knowledge about Tanore Finance Corporation belonging to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low's associate Eric Tan Kim Loong.
Foo agreed to the lawyer's suggestion that Najib himself had told him during the investigation that he didn't know who owned the Tanore account and he just said it might be linked to Saudi royals.
Muhammad Shafee: My question is, to be an AMLA offender, you have to break Datuk Seri Najib's claim as to the lack of knowledge. You have to discredit his claim that he thought that Tanore was linked to Saudi Arabia.
Foo: We found out that the account was owned by Tan and not the Saudis. I came to know this when I got the unofficial document.
Foo also agreed to Muhammad Shafee's suggestion that he only knew the fact that Tanore was owned by Tan and not the Saudis through cooperation with Singapore authorities.
Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Tue Nov 14 2023
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. - BERNAMA/Filepic
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Kebajikan, pendidikan anak-anak wira dipastikan tidak terabai - Menteri
Kementerian Pendidikan lakukan susur tindak bagi memastikan kebajikan 10 orang anak mangsa nahas helikopter dijaga sehingga tamat persekolahan kelak.
Bintang TikTok Iraq, Umm Fahad ditembak mati di luar rumah
Pihak berkuasa Iraq umum penubuhan "jawatankuasa siasatan khas- untuk menjejaki pembunuh yang tidak dikenali itu.
PM Anwar tiba di Riyadh untuk hadiri Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia
Perdana Menteri Anwar tiba di Riyadh dalam rangka lawatan tiga hari bagi menghadiri Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia (WEF).
Jemputan peribadi ke Mesyuarat Khas WEF bukti keakraban Putera Mahkota Mohammed, PM
Ini merupakan lawatan keempat Anwar ke Arab Saudi sejak dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri.
Kerajaan Pusat peruntuk RM1.59 bilion untuk pembangunan fizikal di Terengganu
Peruntukan tersebut melibatkan 99 projek baharu dan 296 projek sambungan di bawah Rolling Plan 4 (RP4) Rancangan Malaysia ke-12 (RMK12).
Pahang rancang wujudkan zon perindustrian di setiap daerah
Kerajaan Pahang rancang wujudkan zon perindustrian di kesemua 11 daerah di negeri ini bagi menggalakkan kemasukan lebih banyak pelaburan asing khususnya dari China.
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Kes 1MDB: Najib percaya Blackstone dikawal Arab Saudi, Raja Abdullah - Saksi
Saksi memberitahu Najib percaya bahawa syarikat Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners dikawal oleh kerajaan Arab Saudi dan Raja Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Prosiding Najib julung kali dibuat pada Sabtu
Perbicaraan pertama dibuat pada hujung minggu ini berlangsung tepat jam 8.30 pagi, selepas bekas Perdana Menteri itu dibawa pihak berkuasa dengan menaiki kenderaan dari Jabatan Penjara.
'Kementerian Kewangan tiada rekod surat kelulusan Najib bagi 1MDB ambil alih Tanjong Energy, Genting Sanyen' - Saksi
Dalam siasatan SPRM, Kementerian Kewangan mengesahkan tidak mempunyai rekod ke atas kedua-dua surat tersebut.
Najib diberi peluang jelaskan mengenai dokumen 1MDB ketika disoal siasat - Pegawai SPRM
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Najib diberi peluang untuk menjelaskan secara terperinci mengenai dokumen berkaitan 1MDB, ketika disoal siasat.
Najib tak pernah arah pengurusan 1MDB pindah AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak pernah mengarahkan mana-mana individu daripada pengurusan 1MDB untuk memindahkan AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho low.
1MDB: SPRM ke Riyadh untuk sahkan surat derma RM2.6 bilion - Saksi
Penguasa Kanan SPRM Nur Aida Arifin berkata pihaknya telah pergi ke Istana Riyadh pada 2015 bagi mengadakan pertemuan dengan dua putera Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Najib tak dedah mengenai pertemuan dengan Raja Arab Saudi ketika siasatan - Saksi
Najib tidak memaklumkan kepada SPRM mengenai pertemuan delegasi Malaysia bersama Raja Arab Saudi, Almarhum Raja Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
1MDB: Muhammad Shafee ditegur hakim kerana bersikap 'keterlaluan'
Ketua peguam bela yang mewakili Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ditegur apabila dilihat menyerang kredibiliti pengawai penyiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) ketika perbicaraan.
DAP hormati keputusan mahkamah libat isu tahanan rumah Najib
DAP akan menghormati keputusan mahkamah berhubung permohonan bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak untuk menghabiskan baki hukuman penjara enam tahun sebagai tahanan di rumah.
Tindakan Zahid boleh cetus krisis Perlembagaan - Hassan
Hassan berkata, tindakan Zahid selaku seorang TPM dalam kerajaan yang sedang memerintah membawa makna Presiden UMNO itu secara rasminya mencabar keputusan Lembaga Pengampunan dan kerajaan.