SRC got RM4bil from KWAP

In the spotlight: Habibul leaving the Kuala Lumpur High Court after testifying on the 11th day of Najib’s SRC International trial.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM4bil was credited into the account of SRC International Sdn Bhd from the country’s largest public services pension fund, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP), the High Court heard.

AmBank manager Wedani Senen, who is attached to the remittance centre, testified that a sum of RM2bil was transferred from KWAP to SRC International’s account on Aug 29, 2011.

The money was credited into SRC’s AmIslamic Bank account.

DPP: Can you confirm that this confirmation advice was issued by AmBank’s Rentas Unit?

Wedani: Yes.

The court was told that the money was credited in four tranches of RM500mil each.

Wedani also confirmed that on March 28, 2012, another RM2bil was credited into the same SRC account in one lump sum.

Wedani, who was in examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Sulaiman Kho Kheng Fuei, explained that the payment was split into four as bank officers who ranked manager and below could only approve transactions with a RM500mil limit.

For the transaction on March 28, Wedani said a senior manager with a higher clearance was asked to approve the RM2bil in one lump sum as they had 20 minutes to transfer the money before Bank Negara Malaysia closed at 6pm for the day.

The witness also told the court that a confirmation advice was a document that was automatically generated by the Rentas System for completion of money transferred from another bank into an AmBank’s account.For monies that are transferred out from an AmBank account into another bank’s account, the document is called completion advice.

The court also heard that RM2.5mil from Datuk Seri Najib Razak was used for the purpose of Barisan Nasional’s political defence operations in 2015.

The amount was paid to a known associate of Najib – Habibul Rahmah Kadir Shah – via a cheque and this was then used to gather political intelligence and to establish goodwill among the political fraternity.Habibul, who owns the firm HKS Consultant, testified that he was given RM2.5mil by Najib as the operations were for Barisan’s political benefits.

When cross-examined by Najib’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Habibul said the advice, political analysis and strategy was provided to Najib specifically.

Habibul said he did not question where the money came from as he believed the money was from political donation.

Shafee: Why do you believe it is from political donation?

Habibul: Since 1984 when I entered Umno, there’s always been talk that if you are the prime minister, everyone wants to give you political donation to establish goodwill with you.

Shafee: So you knew when you joined the politics of Umno, that political donation was the order of the day for Umno?

Habibul: Yes.

Shafee: From your knowledge of Umno, can you confirm if all party presidents were in fact, all the time, hold the political funds in person?

Habibul: I believe so.

The witness said that in politics one must have a network of people that would provide you with information from time to time.

“It’s also quite normal that nobody gives you info for free. At the same time, you also need to develop political goodwill among those politicians like division heads so that if you need to execute some strategy, they will be willing to come forward and help you,” he said.Another witness called to the stand was Solar Shine Sdn Bhd owner Datuk Lew Choon Lai for a RM1mil cheque by Najib to promote 1Malaysia.

A feedback of the campaign was then compiled in a report, which Lew personally presented to Najib.

Lew first met Najib in 2010 when he followed Lion Group chairman Tan Sri William Cheng, who was going to meet Najib in Putrajaya.

Najib is facing seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42mil belonging to SRC International.

The hearing continues before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali tomorrow.- Star