KUALA LUMPUR: The familiar name of a former aide of Datuk Seri Najib Razak cropped up in the High Court today after it was revealed that he gave a cheque of RM2.5 million to be banked in by a law firm.
Habibul Rahman Kadir Shah’s name was mentioned by lawyer Ashraf Abdul Razak, who revealed that the former was his long-time client.
Ashraf gave details about how Habibul had given him the cheque and later asked for the money to be dispersed to his wife and children over a period of time.
The 48-year-old lawyer testified that he was a former partner at a law firm known as Zulkarnain & Co from 1996 to 2017.
He said Habibul was a corporate figure who was also involved in a company called Fuelsubs House Sdn Bhd (FSHB).
The company, he said had been involved in a tender bid for the management of fuel subsidies.
However, he said Habibul told him that the RM2.5 million cheque was payment for a defence contract.
The prosecution had last week established that the RM2.5 million cheque issued to Zulkarnain & Co was issued from an account linked to Najib.
“He gave me the cheque and told me to bank it in my law firm’s account.
“I charged him RM50,000 as legal fees for doing this and he agreed,” he said.
Ashraf was the 18th witness to be called by the prosecution in the case against Najib, who is charged with seven counts of swindling RM42 million linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd, which is a 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) subsidiary company.
He said Habibul ordered him to issue cheques under his wife and children’s names periodically, while some cheques were issued to other parties.
Asked by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, why Habibul did not bank the RM2.5 million cheque into his own account, Ashraf said he did not know the reason for it.
Ashraf said Habibul was an accountant who was also a successful corporate figure who had been appointed to the board of several listed and government-linked companies (GLC).
Cross-examined by Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Ashraf said he handled all of Habibul’s legal affairs, including work related to FSHB.
Asked if he knew that Habibul was also a political analyst, Ashraf replied in the affirmative.
Shafee: Do you know he can give you an indepth political analysis, not coffee shop talk.
Ashraf: Yes.
Shafee: Do you know he was involved in programmes which were implemented in politics?
Ashraf: I don’t know.
Shafee: Did he tell you what the cheque was for?
Ashraf: He told me it was for a defence contract he handled.
In the heat of the cross-examination, Shafee mixed up Ashraf’s name with that of Habibul and started referring to the witness as Habibul before he caught himself.
“You look very different from Habibul but you remind me of a younger version Tan Sri Alwi Jantan,” he said.
Shafee then asked Ashraf if he suspected anything wrong with the RM2.5 million cheque or if everything was above board.
Ashraf replied that he believed everything was above board because of Habibul’s position.
Habibul was a well known figure during Najib’s administration and was seen as his right hand man in managing the media then.
He was also appointed to various GLCs, including as a non-executive director of Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS).
FSHB was previously reported to be bidding for a project to manage the country’s fuel subsidy programme.
Najib is facing three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and one count of abuse of power over funds amounting to RM42 million linked to SRC International.
He is also facing three money laundering charges over the same fund.
He faces up to 20 years’ jail and fine for the offences.
The trial continues.
