Najib recites 'sumpah laknat' from the dock yet again

NAJIB SRC TRIAL | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak recited the sumpah laknat from the dock, the second time in as many days.

Najib recited the traditional oath of truth while under re-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who asked him if he had made any arrangements with any individuals in SRC International to receive RM42 million.

"As a Muslim, wallahi wabillahi watallahi [...] I never sought any gratification and I did not know that the RM42 million went into my account at that material time," said Najib.

He reiterated points made in his earlier testimony that there was no written or verbal evidence produced in court to suggest otherwise.

Yesterday, Najib had made the same sumpah laknat during re-examination by defence counsel Farhan Read who asked the former premier to elaborate on his denial that he had instructed former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil to transfer RM42 million into his accounts.

The sumpah laknat is a religious oath in which the oath-taker seeks divine retribution if he does not recite the truth.

Najib was in court for his SRC International-linked trial where he faces seven charges for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering.

'Not a moron'

Meanwhile, Najib told the court it would be "preposterous" to suggest that he sought the RM42 million and hoped to get away with it.

"It never happened, and to suggest that as prime minister I would have indulged in something like that, is preposterous.

"And I said, I cannot be so stupid, to be a moron, to ask for that kind of graft and be discovered," he said.

Najib said for the graft to happen, the receiver would not wait three years.

"Three years is a long, long time. In politics, one week is too long. In three years, many things can happen, so you wouldn't take graft and say wait for three years to receive (it).

"On top of that, it went into a CSR account. People look to graft for selfish reasons, buying a car or a house. But it went into a CSR account.

"(The charges are) bizarre and preposterous. I can't imagine I could have done something like that. I didn't do it. I didn't even know about it," he added. - Mkini