Witness denies suit against him dropped so he would testify against Najib

 

1MDB TRIAL | Azmi Tahir disagreed that a 1MDB-linked civil suit against him was withdrawn in return for his testimony against Najib Abdul Razak.

The former 1MDB chief financial officer (CFO) however agreed with the former prime minister’s legal team that the names of several prosecution witnesses were also dropped from similar civil actions.

During today’s criminal trial against Najib over the RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption case, the 12th prosecution witness testified that he is not giving evidence against the former premier merely in return for his name (Azmi) to be removed from a civil suit by the sovereign wealth fund.

The witness said this in reply to cross-examination by defence counsel Hariharan Tara Singh, who contended that 1MDB dropped its civil suit so that the former would give evidence against Najib.

Hariharan: You agree that despite the huge claim (1MDB civil suit) against you, the suit was later amended and your name was removed?

Azmi: Yes.

Hariharan: I put it to you that your name was removed from the civil suit so that you would give incriminating evidence against Najib.

Azmi: I disagree.

Hariharan: You agree that people who were not called as witnesses (in 1MDB’s current criminal case against Najib), their names remained in the civil suit?

Azmi: Agreed.

Azmi was one among many individuals and entities who were targeted by 22 civil suits by 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International that was launched last year.

The various civil actions targeted those who purportedly defrauded the two government-owned entities, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Names removed

However, it was reported late last year that several initial defendants’ names were later removed from the civil suits, such as Azmi, former 1MDB directors Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Ismee Ismail, Ong Gim Huat and Ashvin Jethanand Valiram, former 1MDB CEOs Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman.

Besides Azmi who is on the witness stand, others like Shahrol, Hazem and Ismee have previously testified for the prosecution in the 1MDB criminal trial against Najib.

Under the law, the 1MDB criminal court cases (initiated by the Attorney-General's Chambers over alleged violations of the laws) are distinct from the civil actions initiated by the sovereign wealth fund.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court criminal trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues this afternoon and is expected to resume tomorrow.

Abuse of power

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.

1MDB is fully owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).

Besides being the former premier, the accused also used to be finance minister and chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers.

The prosecution contended that fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), on the behest of Najib, had acted with several other 1MDB personnel to misappropriate billions of ringgit of funds from the sovereign wealth fund, and via a circuitous and complex financial route to transfer part of the funds to the then premier’s account.

However, the defence team contended that Najib had no knowledge about wrongdoing at 1MDB, and that the whole affair was masterminded completely by Jho Low and several other members of the sovereign wealth fund. - Mkini