Najib: I only knew about RM3.2bil in my bank account after MACC took my statement

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told the High Court that he found out some US$1.05bil (RM3.2bil) had been wired into his personal bank account between 2011 and 2013 after his statement was taken by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

The monies were wired into Najib’s bank account ending with numbers 694 at AmBank through several tranches from different foreign senders.

“I only found out about the transactions after my statement was taken by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and after my lawyer obtained related banking documents from AmBank, ” he said.

Najib, who was under an examination-in-chief by lawyer Rahmat Hazlan here on Wednesday (Dec 4), confirmed the transactions after he was referred to several banking documents.

The former premier was taking the stand on the second day of defence trial in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case where he is accused of misappropriation of RM42mil in the company’s funds.

Najib said he was also shown letters from a representative of Saudi Arabia's late monarch, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud, that said the king had bestowed him with the monies and he could spend it as he wished.

“The letters were shown to me by my late principal private secretary Datuk Seri Azlin Alias who informed me that he had received the same letters from fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.

“I understood that the letters were given to AmBank by Jho Low and they were also reported to Bank Negara and its governor then, Tan Sri Zeti Abdul Aziz, ” he said.

The funds were spent on corporate social responsibility as well as the general election that year to ensure Barisan Nasional would remain as the government of the day.

“This was to ensure political stability and aligned with what King Abdullah wanted, ” he added.

Najib however, said he returned about US$620mil (RM2.6bil) to one of the senders, Tanore Finance Group, and a balance of RM162mil was transferred into one of his newly opened accounts in August 2013.

“Up until July 2013, I was told that there was a sum of money left in the 694 account. The amount was more than I had planned to use in the nearest time.

“I was uncomfortable to have that much of funds in my account as I was worried that if the information was leaked, it would spin out of context, politically, ” he said.

The court earlier heard from Najib that Low had told him in mid-2010 that King Abdullah wanted to support to Najib's leadership in the form of personal donations.

"From 2011 until 2014, I received a huge amount of money that I believed was a donation from King Abdullah as a sign of his support. Jho Low was the connection in the matter and I believed he arranged the donations for the Saudi royal family," he said.

Najib is facing seven charges – three for criminal breach of trust, one for abuse of power and three for money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds totalling RM42mil.

The hearing continues before Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali on Dec 9.