MACC has troves of documents in 1MDB probe against Najib: Witness

1MDB TRIAL | An MACC investigating officer testified that the anti-graft agency received thousands of documents when interrogating former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak over alleged abuse of power involving 1MDB.

Nur Aida Arifin’s answer before the Kuala Lumpur High Court today was in response to the contention by Najib’s defence team that she received orders not to ask the accused about an alleged 2013 email by fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho (Jho Low).

During the RM2.27 billion 1MDB corruption trial against Najib, the former premier’s lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhurddin was grilling 49th prosecution witness Aida over the allegation that MACC never asked the accused to explain the email.

The counsel contended that due to MACC not asking Najib during the investigation about the email, the accused was not able to provide his version of events over the matter.

Wan Azwan: Was it an order, or you just did not bother to ask (Najib about the email)?

Aida: I disagree (with both contentions).

Wan Azwan: Was the MACC ordered not to refer the document (email) to Najib or was it the fault of the MACC recording officer?

Aida: I disagree with both (contentions) as (MACC) received thousands of documents during the investigation into 1MDB.

While she conceded that the MACC may not have asked Najib about the email, the agency relied on the statements recorded from other witnesses that claimed the former premier was aware of the email.

She added that during the interrogation in 2018, Najib was given ample opportunity to explain what took place at 1MDB.

Audit firm told to sign off

Previously, the criminal court heard testimony that Low sent the email to 1MDB’s management team in December 2013 to provide talking points to Najib just before the then prime minister had a meeting with KPMG Malaysia’s managing partner Johan Idris.

Johan, the 14th prosecution witness, testified that Najib - who was also then finance minister -  during the meeting at his house in December 2013 had intimidated the audit firm to sign off on the 1MDB audit.

KPMG later terminated its services for 1MDB and Deloitte was brought on board to audit the troubled Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

The court also heard witness testimony over an alleged meeting on Nov 28, 2013, whereby Najib with Low and several members of 1MDB’s board and management discussed the email, which led to the then premier meeting with KPMG the following month.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues this afternoon.

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 allegedly 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, Najib purportedly committed the offences at the same bank between March 22, 2013, and Aug 30, 2013.

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

Najib was chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers. - Mkini