Dr M summoned cops for 1MDB probe briefing, court hears

 

Former police officer R Rajagopal told Najib Razak’s trial that he and two others met with Dr Mahathir Mohamad on May 15, 2018 to brief him about the 1MDB investigations which were then ongoing.

PUTRAJAYA: 

A former 1MDB investigating officer told the High Court in Najib Razak’s trial that Dr Mahathir Mohamad had summoned the police for a briefing about their investigations into 1MDB soon after he came to power in 2018.

R Rajagopal said that on May 15, 2018, he went together with then inspector-general of police Fuzi Harun and former Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department director Amar Singh to the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya to meet the newly minted prime minister.

“I went with Fuzi and Amar to brief Tun Mahathir using a PowerPoint presentation at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, just five days after he became the prime minister.

“I highlighted that based on the investigation, the proceeds of 1MDB had landed in Najib’s account. He (Mahathir) said that: ‘You have to complete the investigation with evidence.’

“Subsequently, we referred the matter to the Attorney-General’s Chambers and I filed an (anti-money laundering) report to commence investigations,” he said during cross-examination.

During re-examination, Najib’s counsel Shafee Abdullah sought to elicit from Rajagopal more details about what transpired at the meeting.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Akram Gharib objected, saying it would be “scandalous” and “would open up an entirely new matter”. He also told the court that Mahathir was not a witness in the trial.

However, Shafee insisted he had the right to pursue the subject, pointing out that the DPP had “opened up a can of worms”.

“Once he exposed the worms, he cannot put them back (in the can) and seal it. The relevancy is that I’m going to show Najib never once called him (Rajagopal) to direct or supervise the probe,” said Shafee.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed Shafee to proceed, but reminded him not to stretch his questions too far.

Shafee: You mentioned that after Mahathir came to power, he called you to come to the Perdana Leadership Foundation, which means he was not occupying the Prime Minister’s Office yet, but he was already calling for a 1MDB briefing?

Rajagopal: Yes.

Shafee: What transpired (at the meeting)?

Rajagopal: Whatever we had done, we just briefed him. He said if you need more evidence, just proceed and get the investigation done.

Shafee: What was the objective of Mahathir calling the police on that day?

Rajagopal: He wanted to know the findings of the 1MDB investigation.

Shafee: There were suggestions that the police pulled their punches before 2018 and that’s why the investigation was directed at the management (of 1MDB). Did Mahathir ask why the investigation was not moving fast?

Rajagopal: I cannot recall.

Shafee: Was there any suggestion as to whether or not somebody would be charged?

Rajagopal: No. I highlighted the transactions and wrongdoings and personalities involved.

Shafee: You were reappointed to be on the task force. Did they not punish you because you did not investigate properly?

Rajagopal: No. If he (Mahathir) was not happy, I would have been replaced.

Earlier, Rajagopal, who retired two years ago, testified under cross-examination that based on police investigations, former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and chief financial officer Azmi Tahir had not benefitted from any of the transactions involving the company other than earning their salaries and bonuses.

“The task force had interacted with foreign authorities. We did not get any information to show that they benefitted from any of the transactions,” said the former officer from the Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department.

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

The hearing continues tomorrow. - FMT