Ex-1MDB CEO suspected Najib involved in illegal activity, court hears

 

1MDB TRIAL | A former CEO of 1MDB harboured suspicion that then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak was involved in illegal activities with Low Taek Jho, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman testified this during the hearing of the RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption case against Najib.

The 10th prosecution witness answered this when cross-examined by defence counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed on why the former did not inform Najib then regarding suspicion on the alleged nefarious agenda of Low, also known as Jho Low.

On Feb 15, Hazem testified that he followed along with the alleged criminality that was taking place in 1MDB as he was afraid of snubbing Najib then.

Besides being former premier, Najib was also former finance minister and chairperson of the 1MDB board of advisers.

The troubled sovereign wealth fund was fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc).

Earlier on Feb 8, Hazem had also testified that Low ran 1MDB, and he believed that the 1MDB-linked fugitive’s directions to him (Hazem) came from then premier Najib himself.

During the open court proceedings, Hazem’s answer came on the heels of Wan Aizuddin’s grilling over why the witness did not just go raise concerns over Low’s alleged nefarious action with Najib.

Hazem (above) testified that rather than go straight to Najib, he had instead confided his concerns with then 1MDB chairperson Lodin Wok Kamaruddin and Najib’s late principal private secretary Azlin Alias.

Wan Aizuddin’s cross-examination was in relation to the US$3 billion bond issuance involving 1MDB Global Investments Limited (1MDB GIL) to Abu Dhabi-Malaysia Investment Company (Admic).

Wan Aizuddin: You said you had suspicions on the fundraising exercise, that something was wrong with it, something that is a nefarious agenda by Jho Low, where you said Jho Low said bond issuance was initiated based on alleged instructions from Najib.

Would that not mean the prime minister (Najib) was also involved, per what Jho Low told you, in this nefarious agenda?

Hazem: Absolutely yes. In hindsight.

Wan Aizuddin: That is a very heavy accusation to say that the prime minister was involved in something illegal in the company.

Hazem: Yes.

Wan Aizuddin: Why do you say now, 'in hindsight'?

Hazem: After having read the papers (media reports) and going through investigation.

Wan Aizuddin: After having harboured suspicion that then PM was involved in the nefarious agenda of Jho Low, you still did not feel right and responsible, as the head honcho of 1MDB, to go straight to him and clarify?

Hazem: No.

Wan Aizuddin: The reason you did not go to Najib to clarify with him regarding the suspicion of nefarious agenda (is), you played along with his (Jho Low) plan.

Hazem: I disagree.

Hearing before high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume on Wednesday.

Najib needs to attend an appeal hearing at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya tomorrow, in relation to a separate RM42 million SRC International corruption case.

On Wednesday, Najib will first attend a separate criminal trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to testify as a prosecution witness in the false document case against former Sabah infrastructure development minister Peter Anthony.

After his testimony that day, Najib would then go to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to attend the hearing of the 1MDB corruption case against him.

Concerning the criminal matter before Sequerah, Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion of 1MDB's funds. - Mkini