KUALA LUMPUR: In 2011 and 2012, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had issued 38 cheques for RM8.4mil from his personal account as payment to 18 people, six political entities, and six companies, the High Court here has been told.
AmBank (M) Bhd senior manager (Cheque Processing Centre Division) Badrul Hisam Mohamad, 48, said among those who received the cheques were former land and cooperative development minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam and former human resources minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, each amounting to RM100,000.
Bernama reported that the 36th prosecution witness confirmed that the cheques to six companies totalled RM1,428,250; five Umno branches and divisions (RM4,670,000); Tun Razak Barisan Nasional branch (RM200,000); and RM2,107,600 were from Najib’s personal AmBank account ending with number 694.
“Datuk Seri Najib issued a cheque that was paid to Pekan Umno amounting to RM200,000, Pekan Umno Wanita (RM170,000), Selangor Umno Wanita (RM1.9mil), Selangor Umno (RM2mil), Machang UMNO (RM400,000), and Tun Razak Barisan Nasional Division (RM200,000).
“Among the companies that received the cheques from Datuk Seri Najib were Qalif Umar Creative (RM130,000), Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd (RM274,750), Gading Emas Management Services (RM50,000), Fanisa Consultancy and Services (RM95,000), and Two One Holidays Malaysia Sdn Bhd (RM178,000),” he said.
Badrul Hisam said this when reading out his witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Deepa Nair Thevaharan in the Pekan MP’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3bil in funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Referring to the scanned copies of the cheques by AmIslamik Bank Bhd Jalan Raja Chulan branch for Najib’s account which ended with the number 694, Badrul Hisam said he was able to identify Najib’s signature because it was recorded in the Signature Database System (SDS) that he had to refer to for comparison and verification purposes.
Cross-examined by Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, the witness said that the bank would contact the customer to confirm the transaction if the payment for a cheque issued amounted to more than RM20,000.
“We, at the Cheque Processing Division, do not make the call personally, but the officers at the AmBank branch will decide they will contact the customer directly or through the relationship manager who handles the customer’s account,” he said.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3bil of 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.
