Najib Defends Himself in Court, Claims RM60.6 Million Was Donation from Late King Abdullah
Najib’s Defence
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took the stand today to defend himself against four charges of using his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds and 21 money laundering charges involving the same amount.
Believing the Remittances Were Donations
Najib told the High Court that he believed the RM60.6 million he received in his personal AmIslamic bank account were donations from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by former Saudi Minister Adel Al-Jubair.
Mentioning the Belief to MACC
Najib said he did mention to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of his beliefs that the RM60,629,839.93 transfers from Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Bandar Al-Saud and Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to him were donations from the late Saudi ruler.
Investigative Process
During the investigation, Najib recalled that he was referred to a series of Ambank Remittances Slips during the recording. However, he was not told how those remittances relate to any of the alleged abuses of positions purportedly committed by him.
"I just read aloud the details as they appear on the documents and no further clarification was sought from me by the recording officer. The investigative process did not at any time highlight to me or interrogate me of the amount in relation to RM60,629,839.93," said the former premier while reading the first volume of his 525-page-long witness statement.
Prince Faisal’s Representatives
Najib also recalled the testimony of the investigating officer during the prosecution stage, stating that Prince Faisal’s representatives never denied that the remittances were donations or that the letters came from them.
"In fact, the former Saudi Minister Adel Al-Jubair had confirmed it is a genuine donation," he said in his defence on the first charge brought to him.
First Charge
The first charge against Najib was that he as the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and chairman of the Advisory Board of 1MDB was alleged to have used his positions to obtain gratification totalling RM60,629,839.43 by taking four actions between Feb 24 and June 14, 2011, at the Jalan Raja Chulan branch of the AmIslamic Bank Berhad here.
Private Audience with King Abdullah
Najib further explained prior to those remittances, he was personally informed by the late King Abdullah during a private audience back in 2010, where the King conveyed his intention through the interpreters.
"His (the late King Abdullah) intention was that he would be supporting me financially and I have, in fact, received remittances from the Riyadh Bank, Saudi Arabia.
"I have also received letters confirming this Saudi donation from the late King Abdullah through his royal representatives which were extended to AmIslamic bank and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)," he said.
Opening Accounts at AmIslamic Bank
The former premier said it was on this basis and on the suggestion of his former principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias, that he agreed to open accounts at AmIslamic Bank under his personal name to receive these personal political donations.
He added that neither AmBank nor BNM raised any suspicion or red flag about these remittances, nor did they inquire about the legitimacy of the donations or the supporting documents provided to the bank.
Conclusion
The trial before Justice Sequerah continues tomorrow.
FAQs
Q: What did Najib claim the RM60.6 million was?
A: Najib claimed that the RM60.6 million was a donation from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
Q: Who confirmed the donation?
A: Former Saudi Minister Adel Al-Jubair confirmed that the donation was genuine.
Q: Why did Najib open accounts at AmIslamic Bank?
A: Najib opened accounts at AmIslamic Bank under his personal name to receive personal political donations.