Jho Low pumped RM86 million in 6 months for Najib to spend, says prosecution

Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Najib Razak’s SRC International trial told the High Court here today that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho pumped some RM86 million into the former prime minister’s bank accounts for the issuance of cheques and to fund his expenditures.

Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram said the amount, which included RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd, was credited into Najib’s accounts between September 2014 and February 2015.

“Jho Low was bank-rolling Najib and he knew about it,” he added.

“Jho Low was not a manipulator of the accused’s bank accounts as claimed by the defence,” he said in his submission at the close of the defence’s case.

The lawyer, who was given licence by the attorney-general to prosecute the case, said the RM86 million was exclusive of RM50 million that purportedly came from an Arab donor during that period.

He said the money was deposited into Najib’s accounts at AmBank on his instruction, through his confidential private secretary at the time, Azlin Alias, or by then-SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

“Sometimes the accused would issue cheques first, and then Jho Low would deposit the money, and vice versa,” he added.

Sithambaram also panned the defence’s claim that Najib’s signatures on bank documents and letters to the SRC International board of directors had been forged, saying this was not backed with evidence.

He added that Najib had told Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigators that his signatures there were genuine.

“However, the defence at the prosecution stage claimed the signatures could have been forged. When defence was called, their lawyers told the court that an expert would be called for verification.”

However, he said the defence had not brought the expert to testify nor engaged another to support the claim.

“Now, they have shifted the burden to the prosecution to prove that the accused’s signature is not forged,” he said, adding that in a criminal case, the burden of proof rests on the accused.

He said the defence had also accused the prosecution of misleading the court in order to secure a conviction.

“This was done in bad faith and an act of desperation as their defence is an afterthought,” he added.

Najib, 66, is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust, one charge of abusing his position and three counts of money laundering over SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.

The Pekan MP was charged with committing the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10, 2015. - FMT