Charges politically motivated, rushed against me, says Najib

 

Najib Razak said he was denied the ‘fundamental right’ to an honest, competent and impartial investigation before he was charged in his 1MDB case.

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Former prime minister Najib Razak told his 1MDB trial today the authorities had “rushed” to charge him with abuse of power without considering his explanation.

He said the charges were politically motivated as he had not been informed that the prosecution had prepared them a month earlier.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission took Najib’s statements between May and September 2018 as part of its investigation into the affairs of 1MDB.

He was charged on Sept 20 of the same year.

“I am extremely prejudiced given the fact that had I known the specific allegations against me, I would have provided my justifications for the prosecution to consider before filing the charges.

“As my version could not be explained fully and MACC did not confront me on relevant issues, I had lost the right to be heard before the decision (to charge me) was made.

“Not inquiring into the elements of a proposed charge is a severe defect in the investigation. I have a fundamental right to an honest, competent and impartial investigation,” he told the High Court.

Najib also insisted that he had no “ulterior motive” in tabling Cabinet papers for Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) to secure a RM5 billion loan.

“I did not have any personal interest to declare (to the Cabinet) on TIA.

“If I had wanted to control TIA, I would have attached conditions for the finance minister to have controlling powers there. I did not do so,” he said.

Apart from being the prime minister, he held the finance portfolio at the same time.

Najib said he was not aware that his former special officer, Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, had attended TIA steering committee meetings in 2009.

“Amhari never handed (me) any meeting minutes. At that time, the federal government was not involved in TIA,” he said.

Najib is standing trial on 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over funds amounting to RM2.28 billion which were deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Tuesday. - FMT