RM4 bil moved from pensioners’ fund to SRC bank accounts, Najib corruption trial told

AmBank Remittance Centre’s Rentas Unit manager Wedani Senen outside the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM4 billion was remitted from Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP) to SRC International’s accounts at the AmIslamic Bank Bhd branch on Jalan Raja Chulan in 2011 and 2012, the High Court heard today.

AmBank Remittance Centre’s Rentas Unit manager Wedani Senen said the first tranche of RM2 billion was transferred from KWAP to SRC International’s account on Aug 29, 2011.

“Four transactions of RM500,000 each were transferred into Ambank account No. 211-202-2009736,” Wedani said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Sulaiman Kho Kheng Fuei.

She said another RM2 billion of KWAP money was remitted into Ambank account No. 211-202-2010650 on March 28, 2012.

Wedani said any remittance of RM500 million and below could be conducted by bank officers while bank managers could conduct transactions for RM500 million and above.

She said these transactions were conducted via the Real Time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities (Rentas), a system designed for local inter-bank transfer.

The 24th witness was testifying in the trial of Najib Razak, who is facing six charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust in the transfer of RM42 million to his account from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

Najib is also accused of abusing his power as prime minister by giving government guarantees on SRC International’s RM4 billion loan from Retirement Fund Inc.

Earlier, another prosecution witness, R Uma Devi, said Najib, who held three currents accounts, did not take any action, including suing her Ambank branch, for allegedly violating the mandate given to Nik Faisal Nik Kamil.

Nik Faisal, an SRC and Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd director, was appointed by Najib to manage his accounts, including giving instruction to the bank officers.

The defence is asserting that Najib’s signature was forged to make fraudulent transfer of funds from the three accounts.

It is also building a defence that some rogue bankers were involved and all this was done without Najib’s knowledge.

Re-examined by deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaram, Uma Devi, who is the AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager, said Nik Faisal could not withdraw, transfer money or issue cheques from Najib’s accounts.

She said SRC also did not lodge any complaint with the bank when RM85 million from one its accounts was transferred into Gandingan Mentari.

She said there were also no queries when RM40 million from Gandingan Mentari was transferred to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.

The hearing before judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali was adjourned to Thursday. - FMT