It wasn't Arabs who put money in Najib's account - former banker

 

1MDB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak’s former banker testified that it was not Arabs who kept depositing money into the then-prime minister’s account.

Former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping (above) told the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning the depositors were several “Malaysian Chinese” individuals allegedly linked to fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low).

During this morning’s RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial against former finance minister Najib, the 41st prosecution witness was explaining how Najib’s accounts were constantly topped up.

She said the account received over-the-counter funds from Low’s alleged associate Kee Kok Thiam and the fugitive’s alleged secretary known only as Josie.

During re-examination, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib asked about Yu’s previous testimony on Low communicating with her via BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) about topping-up Najib’s bank accounts whenever they were overdrawn.

Akram: Were they Arabs?

Yu: No. As far as I know, they (Kee and Josie) were Malaysian Chinese. They were Malaysians.

The former banker testified that she knew Kee and Josie through her dealings with Low, who was a client with AmBank stretching back to 2007.

Yu said that Najib at the time, as the account holder, did not enquire with the bank about the over-the-counter transactions.

Previously, the court heard oral evidence that Najib’s account with AmBank was opened in 2011 in anticipation of an alleged donation from Saudi royalty, with four letters purportedly from Saudi Arabia promising donation to the then premier.

Composite picture of fugitive businessperson Jho Low (left) and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak

The prosecution contended that the wrongdoing at 1MDB was carried out by businessperson Low and several others, with Najib’s blessing.

However, the accused’s defence team claimed Najib had no knowledge of the crime perpetrated at 1MDB and that Low, as well as other members of the fund’s management, had masterminded the embezzlement.

The authorities are still attempting to track down Low and several others to assist in the investigation into the affair.

‘No doubt Jho represented Najib’

In reply to Akram, Yu said every relevant department in AmBank then was kept in the loop about the large amounts of money that flowed in and out of Najib’s account.

The witness explained that she was confident Low was representing Najib, who was chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisors.

This is because, she said, what the businessperson communicated to her tallied with what transpired in the real world, such as the over-the-counter deposits into the account.

She said another communication by Low that made her confident he was representing Najib were chat messages regarding issues faced by the former prime minister’s credit card which were eventually resolved.

“I did not have reason to doubt him (Low), when he said (in BBM chat) that cheque was written, when he said the credit card could not be used, there was transaction rejected, and when he said there were incoming funds, I did not doubt he represented Datuk Seri (Najib).

“I did not doubt Jho was in contact with Najib, especially on credit card in Italy that the bank rejected certain transactions, I felt really bad for rejecting the PM’s credit card transactions.

“That one I was worried there would be repercussions and I believed Jho communicated with Datuk Seri (Najib) and that he (Low) received instructions,” the former banker said about her BBM chats with Low.

She explained that her constant communication with Low via BBM showed that the one that benefited was Najib.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume on Feb 27.

Najib is facing four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion from 1MDB.

For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch in Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, between Feb 24, 2011, and Dec 19, 2014.

On the 21 money laundering counts, the accused is purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013. - Mkini