KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here today was told that Datuk Seri Najib Razak had told authorities that the former prime minister opened an account with Ambank in order to receive donations from Saudi Arabia.
Foo Wei Min, assistant director of Bukit Aman’s anti-money laundering criminal investigation division, confirmed this when questioned by Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the former prime minister’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Shafee: My client instructed me that he opened the account in order to receive Saudi donations. This was indicated to him when he met the late King Abdullah, that is the instruction he maintained throughout. Did he not mention that to you?
Foo: Yes.
Shafee: That account ending 694 that he said was opened in order to receive the donation monies, did in fact come from Saudi, the Riyadh Bank?
Foo : Yes.
Shafee then questioned the witness whether he investigated the statements of accounts for three funds, namely Cistenique Inv, Enterprise Emerging Markets Fund and Devonshire Capital Growth Fund, which he claimed in his investigation had transferred a total of US$1.59 billion (RM7.54 billion) from 1MDB Global Investment Ltd bond proceeds to Tanore Finance Corp.
To this, Foo said he only took a glance at the documents related to the funds given by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigating officer.
Shafee: Does this mean you did not analyse the documents?
Foo: My perspective of investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering Act is merely that there was money coming into Tanore from these three funds.
Shafee: Did you meet anyone from these three funds to confirm your investigation? These statements of accounts came from overseas, did you obtain them through mutual legal assistance (MLA)?
Foo: I never recorded any statements from anyone from these three funds. For the statements of accounts, I am not sure. The police don’t have any MLA, must be from the MACC.
Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. – November 8, 2023