Former AmBank officer seeks to strike out Najib's suit

Former banker Joanna Yu has filed an application to strike out a suit against her by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak for allegedly revealing his banking information to 1MDB-linked businessperson Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.

The bid by Yu (above) was revealed by Najib’s counsel Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee when met at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex this morning.

Farhan was speaking to the media after having attended case management on the striking-out application before High Court judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

“We (Najib) were served yesterday with the application to strike out the writ of summons and statement of claim (filed by Najib against Yu).

“Joanna (Yu) filed it on grounds that (Najib’s suit) is an abuse of court process and for a collateral purpose. The collateral purpose here is that it (the suit) was allegedly to bolster Najib’s defence in his (ongoing) SRC (International) case,” he said.

Farhan is referring to Najib’s ongoing trial for alleged abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International.

The lawyer said that Najib’s position at the moment in regard to the striking-out bid is that the main suit must be allowed to be heard in court in light of Yu’s testimony for the prosecution during the prosecution stage of the RM42 million SRC trial last year.

“Our position is that this matter (Najib’s suit) is not suitable to be struck out as she (Yu) needs to explain her actions thoroughly (in regard to alleged mishandling of Najib’s bank accounts) in light of what she testified in the SRC (trial).

“This is particularly in relation to (Yu’s testimony) on taking instructions from Low (in relation to the management of Najib’s accounts),” said Farhan.

During the SRC International trial last year, Yu, among others, testified that Low and then SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil had instructed AmBank to conceal the name of then-prime minister Najib when processing his banking transactions. 

On what transpired during today’s case management, Farhan said the judge set Feb 4 for further case management of the striking-out application.

The lawyer said this is because Najib’s legal team was only served the cause papers late yesterday afternoon and that they had not managed to completely peruse the documents yet.

“We needed more time to take in (peruse the striking-out application) and to take further instructions (from Najib). Hence the court set Feb 4 for further case management,” said Farhan.

This morning’s case management was also attended by counsel Jessica Ram Binwani and Samuel Tan, who acted for Yu and co-defendant AmBank respectively.

On Dec 10, it was reported that Najib filed the suit against his former relationship manager Yu and her former employer AmBank for allegedly taking instructions from and revealing his banking information to Low.  - Mkini