Investigator didn't trace whether US$620m returned to Tanore reached Najib again, court told

 

The High Court today heard that financial fraud investigator Richard Templeman did not trace whether the US$620 million (RM2.54 billion) returned by Najib Abdul Razak to Tanore Finance Corporation was subsequently routed back to the former prime minister.

United Kingdom-based Templeman said this during cross-examination by Najib’s counsel Shafee Abdullah in 1MDB’s US$5.64 billion civil suit against Najib and six others.

Shafee asked, “Did you trace whether the US$620 million somehow got rerouted and came back to Najib? Templeman answered, “No”.

Financial fraud investigator Richard Templeman

The lawyer then suggested that such an investigation was critical given Templeman’s role as a fraud expert. However, the first plaintiff witness said he only reviewed the relevant bank statements and had no knowledge of whether the funds found their way back to Najib.

Shafee further put to Templeman that there was no evidence showing the US$620 million was channelled back to Najib after he returned it to the Tanore account.

“Yes,” Templeman replied.

Lawyer Shafee Abdullah

Asked whether he had any evidence that the funds were later routed back to Najib, Templeman said he did not.

The trial before judicial commissioner Redzuan Idrus continues tomorrow.

1MDB suit

1MDB and its subsidiaries - 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited, and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited - filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.

The defendants are Najib; former 1MDB finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng; former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee; former chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh; former chief operating officer Radhi Mohamad; former investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jim; and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

The writ of summons accused the defendants, among other things, of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power, and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds.

On Dec 26, 2025, the High Court sentenced Najib, 73, to 15 years in prison and fined him RM11.4 billion after finding him guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds. - Mkini

- Bernama - Mkini