KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak never directed 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to transfer a total of US$1.03 billion to a bogus offshore company linked to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, the High Court heard today.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior officer Nur Aida Arifin said the dealings were done by 1MDB's top brass, who were responsible for the transactions between 1MDB and Good Star Ltd.
She said they were 1MDB former chief executive Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, former chief financial officer Radhi Mohamad, former executive directors Terence Geh Choh Heng and Casey Tang Keng Chee.
Nur Aida said this while testifying as a key prosecution witness in Najib's corruption trial for misappropriating millions of funds belonging to 1MDB before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.
The witness, who was the investigating officer for the case, also agreed with Najib's counsel Wan Azwan Aiman's contention that based on the documents presented in court, all individuals involved allowed the remittance of the funds to Good Star.
Nur Aida, when testifying under cross-examination by Wan Azman yesterday also agreed that she never asked the former prime minister if he had instructed the transfer of US$700 million to Good Star.
The US$700 million was part of 1MDB's US$1 billion that was supposed to be channelled to a joint-venture company set up between 1MDB and PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI) but had ended up in Good Star's coffers.
It was reported that only US$300 million was remitted to the joint venture firm's JP Morgan account.
On Sept 19, last year, a witness Bank Negara Malaysia analyst Adam Ariff Mohd Roslan, when testifying in the same trial said Low through Good Star received US$810 million belonging to the sovereign wealth fund in a span of three years.
He disclosed that 1MDB had transferred US$700 million and US$110 million into the RBS Coutts account belonging to Good Star in 2011.
He said the Good Star account was empty prior to the US$700 million remittance from 1MDB.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing continues.
