Following a meeting with then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, his former chief private secretary Azlin Alias “slammed” a file and shouted “1MDB money lahbro!”, recalled a witness.
Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the late Azlin (above) appeared to be stressed after the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office sometime in January or February 2015.
The witness had worked for Najib under Azlin’s supervision.
According to Amhari, he still remembers the incident because it was in stark contrast with Azlin’s usually cool demeanour.
“I can’t recall the exact date, but it was between January or February 2015. An incident happened due to the viral 1MDB issue at the time.
“On that day, I arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office and waited for Azlin in his office as he had gone to the fifth floor to meet Najib.
“As soon as he returned, I could see he was in a stressful mood and he tried to vent his frustration by raising his voice, shouting ‘Duit 1MDB lah Bro! (1MDB money lah bro)’. At the same time, he slammed a file that he was holding.
“I remember the situation clearly because as far as I have known him, Azlin was cool, polite and never acted in such a way before. He was not the kind of person who raises his voice,” he added.
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Amhari (photo), who worked as a special officer to Najib since 2008 until last year, is the prosecution’s eighth witness in the former premier’s criminal trial related to the 1MDB scandal.
The witness said he believed that Azlin’s reaction had to do with the media coverage on the 1MDB issue then, including on Petrosaudi, Jho Low’s spending of 1MDB monies, (Najib’s stepson) Riza Aziz’s purchases of luxury properties and transfers of 1MDB funds into suspicious bank accounts.
“I can appreciate the pressure he was under because he was one of those who knew most about 1MDB.
“He was the person who dealt with the matter under Jho Low’s orders, and as far as I know, he was the one responsible for referring the issues to Najib,” he added.
For the record, Azlin served as Najib’s chief private secretary until his death in a helicopter crash in Semenyih, Selangor in April 2015.
Also killed in the crash was Najib’s adviser Jamaluddin Jarjis.
– M’kini
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