THE prosecution’s 54th witness, former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu, returns to the witness stand for the last time today as Najib Razak’s SRC International trial enters its 49th day.
She will be cross-examined on the closure of Najib’s bank accounts in early 2015 and on Low Taek Jho’s actions after the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal broke.
Yesterday, she told the court that Low told her that Najib didn’t want to close his accounts with AmBank after she warned the Penang-born businessman that the bank had raised red flags for money-laundering.
However, Najib’s three current accounts, ending in 880, 906, 898, were eventually closed on March 9, 2015. Najib also cancelled two credit cards the same month.
The court heard that Low was behind outflows totalling RM32 million from Najib’s bank accounts at the end of 2014 as part of an alleged effort to zero-rise transfers from Putra Perdana Construction before the end of the financial year.
Low asked Yu to prepare a letter of instruction to reverse a transfer of RM27 million from Permai Binaraya into Najib’s account ending 880, and RM5 million from Putra Perdana Construction into the account ending 906.
Yu agreed with the defence’s suggestion that the scanned letter of instruction sent by Low may contain a forged signature of Najib’s.
Yu agreed that Low was not truthful and was deceitful at times, including the time Low told her to lie about a transfer of RM27 million of SRC International funds, codenamed “Eagle 27”, into Najib’s account.
She was told to put the purposes as a donation from royalty when, in fact, the money is from SRC International.
The money found its way into Najib’s “880” account, the subject of another three money-laundering charges for which he has yet to stand trial.
Yu has consistently maintained that she did not carry out illegal transactions under Low or former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil’s instructions.
Najib’s charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International in 2011 and 2012, for which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his accounts in 2014 and 2015.
The 66-year-old was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.
The former prime minister is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali presides.
The Malaysian Insight brings you today’s proceedings live: – August 6, 2019.
9.52am: The defence asks for a 15-minute recess to make sure their documents are in order for the last part of the cross-examination with Yu. Sithambaram also tells the judge that he needs the time to arrange documents for his re-examination of the witness.
9.44am: Harvinderjit moves on to another area and seeks permission to admit a document from the Companies Commission of Malaysia into evidence in the trial.
9.35am: Yu says she doesn’t know if Low is dishonest but he did hide some facts from her.
9.34am: Prosecutor V. Sithambaram says Harvinderjit is badgering the witness. He calls Harvinderjit intimidating.
9.33am: Harvinderjit asks her if Low Taek Jho was dishonest in these transactions and if she is trying to cover up for Low.
Harvinderjit: Are you trying to cover up for Jho Low? Have you been in contact with him?
Yu: No
Harvinderjit: Then why are you covering up for him?
Yu was asked the question because she earlier hesitated to answer a query if Low was a liar.
9.29am: Harvinderjit is going through instances where the auto debit for the cards did not go through from the “880” account because of insufficient funds.
9.27am: The standing instruction for the credit card statements was to auto debit from the “694” current account. In August 2014, the instruction was changed to auto debit from the “880” account.
9.25am: Harvinderjit asks her about two platinum credit cards under Najib Razak’s name.
9.16am: Court starts with defence counsel Harvinderjit continuing his cross-examination of former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu.
8.58am: Najib arrives in court with his aides dressed in a black suit.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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