1MDB TRIAL | BSI Bank’s former relationship manager Yak Yew Chee refuses to come to Malaysia and testify in the RM2.27 billion 1MDB corruption trial against former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard.
MACC investigating officer Nur Aida Ariffn testified that this was the result of her Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) application to Singaporean authorities on Aug 23, 2018, as part of the Malaysian authorities’ probe into the case.
During the 1MDB trial against Najib this afternoon, the 49th prosecution witness said her MLA bid only resulted in the Malaysian authorities managing to record Yak’s statement and another from former BSI Bank banker Kevin Swampillai.
While under cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Aida said Yak refused to come to Malaysia to act as a prosecution witness in the trial which began in 2019.
However, Swampillai did come to Malaysia last year to testify.
“From the Singaporean (authorities), was informed that Yak did not wish to come to testify,” Aida said.
Both Swampillai and Yak were previously investigated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in relation to their role in BSI Bank in the 1MDB affair.
In November 2016, the Singaporean court sentenced Yak to 18 weeks in jail and a fine of S$24,000 (RM114,000) after he pleaded guilty to four criminal charges for forgery and failure to flag suspicious transactions linked to 1MDB.
On Oct 23, 2020, MAS imposed a lifetime ban on Swampillai over the 1MDB case.
‘Secret profits’
According to MAS’ official website, Swampillai and his then subordinate, Yeo Jiawei, had channelled a portion of the fund management fees or “secret profits” - namely US$5 million (RM16.6 million) - to an entity beneficially owned by Swampillai, without BSI’s knowledge and authorisation.
The Singaporean authority contended that the secret profit was in relation to the duo having assisted 1MDB in restructuring several of its joint venture interests.
Najib is on trial for four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.27 billion from 1MDB.
For the four abuse of power charges, the former Pekan MP is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd’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 former finance minister is purported to have committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013.
No reply from 4 countries
Aida also testified today that she got no reply from four countries - Switzerland, Barbados, Hong Kong (China), and the Netherlands - over MACC’s MLA application to record 1MDB-linked witnesses from those nations.
She told Shafee that those countries only shared photostated copies of banking and other financial documents related to 1MDB with Malaysia.
She explained that Malaysia did not get a response from the four nations over MACC's bid to record witness statements there.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume tomorrow. - Mkini
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