COURT LAUGHS AS JB UMNO MAN IDENTIFIES NAJIB WHO’S STANDING IN THE DOCK AS – ‘WHAT’S THERE TO BE SHY, MY BOSS’: WHILE UMNO PADANG SERAI CHIEF TESTIFIES TO RECEIVING RM50K CHEQUE IN HIS PERSONAL NAME ‘TO EXECUTE PARTY PLANS’

Witness: ‘Apa malu, bossku’

11.57am – The prosecution calls its tenth witness, Johor Bahru Umno division secretary Abu Talib Alias.

DPP Saifuddin asks whether Najib is in court today and whether the witness can identify him.

Abu says, “Apa malu, bossku” in response.

This elicits laughter from those present in court, including a chuckle from Najib himself in the dock.

RM50k cheque not reflected in Umno division’s account

11.30am – Asmadi testifies that the RM50,000 contribution Najib gave to the Padang Serai Umno division was not reflected in the division’s official account.

This was because the cheque had been made payable to him, not the division.

He says all leaders in the division’s management knew about the existence of the funds, and that it was meant for the use of Padang Serai Umno to conduct programmes.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Shafee, Asmadi testifies that the contribution was managed in a transparent manner.

However, he says, the funds were not reflected in the division’s official account as it would have had to go through the annual general meeting and audit processes.

He also testifies that it was a normal practice for Umno divisions to receive contributions from the party headquarters, since the time when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was its president.

The witness was then relieved.

Najib gave Umno division chief RM50k to ‘execute party plans’ 

11am – Hearing resumes after a short break with the prosecution calling in their ninth witness, Umno Padang Serai division chief Asmadi Abu Talib, who is also a former teacher.

Asmadi testifies that he first became the division chief in 2013, and had received a RM50,000 cheque from Najib when he met the then Umno president in 2014.

The witness said he met Najib at Umno’s office in Putra World Trade Centre.

Asmadi said he spoke with Najib about his experience of being a division chief for the first time, and discussed constraints in conducting party programmes for his division, including financial issues.

“Datuk Seri Najib then gave some advice to lift up my spirits, and then he handed over some contributions to assist my division to execute party plans,” he told the court during examination by DPP Muhammad Saifuddin.

Asmadi said the cheque was made payable to him, and was later deposited into his Maybank account before being used to organise programmes for non-government organisations and associations.

MKINI