The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters day 68 today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Najib claims he didn't use own money to regularise overdrawn accounts
- Najib denies diverting millions when 'Arab money' ran out
- Najib denies he is shifting the blame to Jho Low
- I assumed late Saudi ruler donated the billions in my accounts - Najib
- Najib raises voice, denies SRC being 'prime minister's company'
- Najib: I assumed funds in accounts came from legitimate sources
- I never saw my bank statements from 2011 to 2015, says Najib
- 'He did not tell me about the RM42m'
- Najib admits he didn't lose any money due to Jho Low's 'manipulations'
Najib claims he didn't use own money to regularise overdrawn accounts
12.55pm - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak denies using his own funds to regularise his overdrawn bank accounts so that he could issue cheques.
The accused is answering a question from DPP V Sithambaram about a letter from former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (photo) to AmBank. Nik Faisal was the person authorised by Najib to manage the latter's bank accounts.
The letter purportedly stated that Najib's money from his personal accounts would be used to regularise his overdrawn accounts, such as account ending in 906.
"No, it cannot be. It is not," Najib replies.
Proceedings then adjourn for lunch and will resume at 2.30pm this afternoon.
Najib denies diverting millions when 'Arab money' ran out
12.18pm - During cross-examination from DPP V Sinthambaram, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak denies that he diverted millions of ringgit into his personal accounts when he ran out of "Arab money" he previously received.
Sithambaram: You diverted money into your accounts when the "Arab money" ran out?
Najib: Disagree.
The current trial alleged that the accused received RM42 million from SRC International into his personal accounts from late 2014 to early 2015.
Najib had also claimed that he received an earlier donation from the Saudi royal family amounting to RM2.6 billion, among others.
Najib denies he is shifting the blame to Jho Low
12.05pm - Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak disagrees with a suggestion from the prosecution that he is only shifting the blame to Jho Low to avoid legal consequences.
He says this when being questioned by DPP V Sithambaram over his bank accounts, which Najib claimed had been manipulated by the fugitive businessperson.
Sithambaram: You are just shifting the blame to Low as much as possible to escape the consequences of these charges.
Najib: No, I disagree.
Proceedings resume after a short break
12pm - Proceedings resume after a short break
11.31am - Court adjourns for a short break.
I assumed late Saudi ruler donated the billions in my accounts - Najib
11.05am - Najib Abdul Razak testifies that he assumed the billions of ringgit that went into his accounts were from the late Saudi ruler, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
It was reported that Najib allegedly received RM2.6 billion into his bank accounts in 2013.
Sithambaram: From 2011 to 2014, Datuk Seri (Najib) received a substantial donation which you believed were from King Abdullah?
Najib: Yes.
Sithambaram: You cannot confirm that the donation was indeed from King Abdullah?
Najib: I received (the money) in good faith.
Sithambaram: You could not confirm it was from King Abdullah?
Najib: I assumed it was from King Abdullah.
Najib raises voice, denies SRC being 'prime minister's company'
11am - Najib Abdul Razak raises his voice in disagreement over the allegation that SRC International was "syarikat perdana menteri" (prime minister's company).
Sithambaram is asking Najib about a previous testimony by Finance Ministry official Afidah Azwa Abdul Aziz (photo) that she was told by the ministry's secretary Maliami Hamad that SRC International was the prime minister's company.
Earlier, the DPP was also asking Najib whether SRC International and its subsidiary didn't take any steps to recover the RM42 million that was transferred from SRC's account to Najib's, to which the accused agreed.
Sithambaram: That is because Afidah and Maliami said that SRC was the prime minister's company?
Najib (raises voice): Disagree.
Najib: I assumed funds in accounts came from legitimate sources
10.45am - The court hears from Najib Abdul Razak that he never questioned his then principal private secretary Azlin Alias about the source of funds in his bank accounts.
The former prime minister says this under cross-examination from DPP V Sithambaram about the millions of ringgit deposited into the former's accounts.
Queried further on why he did not ask about the source of the money in his accounts, Najib says he trusted Azlin.
"I just assume it came from legitimate source," he adds.
I never saw my bank statements from 2011 to 2015, says Najib
10.36am - Najib Abdul Razak testifies that he was never shown his bank account balance from 2011 to 2015.
During cross-examination by DPP V Sithambaram, the former prime minister says that his late principal private secretary Azlin Alias only informed him (Najib) whether he had enough in the accounts to issue cheques.
Sithambaram: Are you telling this court, from the time you opened your accounts in 2011 until March 2015, you have never seen your bank statements?
Najib: Yes.
The accused also says that his bank statements were never sent to him.
'He did not tell me about the RM42m'
10.30am - Najib Abdul Razak testifies that his late principal private secretary Azlin Alias hid from him information regarding the inflow of RM42 million into the former premier's bank accounts.
The accused also agrees that Azlin (photo) was a man of integrity and someone he (Najib) trusted implicitly until today.
Sithambaram: He (Azlin) would have no reason as a man of integrity to keep as secret the RM42 million paid into the accounts?
Najib: He (Azlin) did not tell me about it.
Sithambaram: He kept it a secret?
Najib: Yes, he did not tell me about the RM42 million.
Najib admits he didn't lose any money due to Jho Low's 'manipulations'
10.15am - Proceedings begin with DPP V Sithambaram questioning the accused, former premier Najib Abdul Razak, on his defence that he was a victim of Jho Low's manipulation.
Najib agrees that he is accusing Low of having manipulated his bank accounts and also admits that he did not lose any money from the alleged manipulation.
He agrees to another suggestion by Sithambaram that he had actually benefited from the millions of ringgit that were deposited by Low into his accounts in 2014 and 2015.
Najib, however, stresses that he had never asked for the money to be deposited to him.
Sithambaram: You have told your counsels in the course of the prosecution's case and in your witness statement that you are accusing Low of manipulating your accounts. Am I correct sir?
Najib: Yes, he was dealing with (former SRC International CEO) Nik Faisal (Ariff Kamil), I believe. I don't know the details...
Sithambaram: You accuse him (Low) of manipulating your account?
Najib: Yes.
Sithambaram: As a result of this alleged manipulation of your account by Low, you did not lose any money from your bank accounts?
Najib: No, I didn't
Sithambaram: In fact Datuk Seri, to the contrary, you benefited by the millions of ringgit deposited by Low.
Najib: I didn't ask for it.
Sithambaram: With all due respect sir, that's not my question. You didn't lose any money, but in fact, you benefited money deposited by Low into your accounts.
Najib: Yes.
Proceedings begin
10.15am - Najib enters the witness stand as proceedings begin.
9.58am - Najib Abdul Razak enters the Kuala Lumpur High Court and takes a seat at the front row of the public gallery and wait for proceedings to begin.
Also seen in court is Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and DPPs, as well as members of the former prime minister's defence team.
Today marks the seventh day the prosecution is cross-examining former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in his RM42 million SRC International trial.
DPP V Sithambaram will resume questioning the former finance minister and advisor emeritus of SRC International when hearing resumes before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
However, the 68th day of hearing may begin a bit later than 9am due to Najib and his defence team attending a separate court matter earlier in the morning.
The matter in question is the case mention of Najib’s ongoing RM2.28 billion 1MDB case, where the setting of further trial dates is subject to the progress of his RM42 million SRC International trial.
Yesterday, Najib and Sithambaram verbally sparred over whether the accused’s annotation “setuju” (agree) on documents — such as for the RM4 billion loans from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International — hindered civil servants and department heads from disagreeing with him (Najib).
The court also heard that despite claiming that he was surprised at SRC International sending billions of ringgit abroad for purported investment, Najib did not feel the need to inquire on the matter. - Mkini
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