Not in my nature to intimidate anyone, Najib tells court

 

Najib Razak is facing 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA: 

Najib Razak today denied intimidating a senior officer of a leading accounting firm, insisting it was not in his nature to do so.

Testifying during re-examination at his 1MDB trial, Najib insisted that he did not intimidate KPMG’s then managing director, Johan Idris, at a meeting held at the former prime minister’s home on Dec 15, 2013.

The meeting was also attended by 1MDB’s then chairman, Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, CEO Hazem Abdul Rahman and chief financial officer Azmi Tahir.

The High Court previously heard that KPMG had questioned 1MDB’s US$2.3 billion outlay in Brazen Sky Ltd after being unable to verify the authenticity of the investment. As a result, the audit firm refused to sign off 1MDB’s 2013 financial statement.

“I believe that I don’t have that reputation (of intimidating people),” Najib said, adding that Johan did not claim to have been intimidated in his meeting notes.

He also said he replaced Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah with Johari Ghani as second finance minister in 2016. Johari is currently the plantation and commodities minister in Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.

Najib said Johari was a well-known corporate figure, and had extensive experience in the corporate sector, unlike Husni, who hails from the banking industry.

Najib is standing trial on 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. - FMT