‘Najib received RM60.6mil’

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM60.6mil was credited in two transactions into former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal account at AmIslamic Bank in 2011, the High Court heard.

A sum of RM30,449,929.97 was credited into the former prime minister’s account on Feb 24, 2011, followed by another RM30,179,909.46 on June 14 that year, Ambank (M) Berhad Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager R. Uma Devi, 43, said.

Her testimony was based on a statement of an account that ended with the number 694.

The account was opened under Najib’s name on Jan 13, 2011, with a deposit of RM500.

“I confirm that this document (account statement) of AmIslamic Bank Berhad in the name of Najib was printed from a computer belonging to AmBank Jalan Raja Chulan Branch,” she said.

Uma Devi was reading out her witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam in the Pekan MP’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3bil in funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Bernama reported.

The 37th prosecution witness said Najib was the sole signatory of cheques issued and any business for the account.

“The legal signatory for this personal account was Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself. This means only he (Najib) can sign cheques and do business through this account,” she said.

She said Najib submitted a letter dated Aug 26, 2013, to the bank’s branch manager to close his current and savings accounts (ending with numbers 694 and 481, respectively) and instructed the bank to transfer the money in the accounts – amounting to RM150mil – to his other account, AmPrivate Banking-1MY.

Uma Devi said the letter also stated that all the unused cheques would be returned to the bank and that he (Najib) would not issue any cheque from the account after it was closed.

“Another instruction in the letter was to debit the remaining amount from those accounts for the issuance of bank draft in the name of AmPrivate Banking-1MY,” she said.

Enclosed with the letter was a money transfer slip that had been processed by the bank as instructed in the letter.

“Based on the (money transfer) slip, RM12,436,711.87 was transferred to the AmPrivate Banking-1MY account on Aug 30, 2013.

“That account belongs to Datuk Seri Najib and was opened at the Jalan Raja Chulan branch on July 31, 2013,” said Uma Devi.

Later, she told the court that Najib had appointed former SRC International Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, now a fugitive, as the authorised personnel for his five AmIslamic Bank accounts (including the two ending in 694 and 481).

In a letter dated March 10, 2011, Najib had allowed Nik Faisal to make status inquiries, check account details, including balance, and verify cheques that amounted to more than RM250,000, she said.

“This means the bank needs to obtain confirmation from Nik Faisal to proceed with the transaction for any cheque for more than RM250,000,” she added.

Uma Devi said Najib’s three other accounts, namely AmPrivate Banking- 1MY (ending with number 880), AmPrivate Banking-Y1MY (898) and AmPrivate Banking-MY (906) were opened at AmIslamic Bank Berhad’s Jalan Raja Chulan branch on July 31, 2013. All three accounts were closed on March 9, 2015.

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 on Monday.