Najib spent RM466,000 for a luxury watch as a birthday gift to Rosmah

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) spent US$130,625 (RM466,330.11) for a luxury watch in 2014 as a birthday gift for his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the High Court heard.

The watch was purchased at a Chanel boutique in Honolulu, US, on Dec 22,2014.

“The purchase at Chanel in Honolulu was a watch that I bought as a gift for my wife’s birthday in December, ” he said here on Monday (Dec 9).

The 66-year-old Pekan MP said this during an examination-in-chief at the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial when he was asked by his lawyer Rahmat Hazlan about two controversial transactions through a credit card.

The other transaction was RM127,017.46 at Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok in January 2015.

“Regarding the Shangri-La transaction, just after my trip to Kota Bharu to check on the flood situation there, I continued my private vacation in Bangkok, Thailand where I flew to straight from Kota Bharu.

“Although this was a private trip, I took the opportunity to meet with my Thai counterpart, (Thailand’s Prime Minister) Prayut Chan-o-cha, to discuss on how the Thai government would be able to help us with the bad flood situation, ” he said.

Najib added that the money spent at the Shangri-La covered his stay as well as that of the supporting staff that accompanied him, unexpected expenses and required expenses throughout the trip.

“It is within my right to claim the expenses from the government considering that I worked on my trip.

“However, I chose to bear the expenses because I didn’t want to complicate matters and I exercised my discretion, ” he said.

Najib, who was reading from his 243-page statement, said he was meticulous about expenses.

“My lawyer had prepared a break down of the funds used in the account including the credit card expenses from August 2013 until March 2015.

“The total of my personal spending was 0.4% from the funds received in the account, ” he said.

Najib is facing seven charges – three for criminal breach of trust, one for abuse of power and three for money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds totalling RM42mil.

The hearing continues before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali on Tuesday (Dec 10).- Star